Cannot Be Seen
by ILoveLucey
Summary: Takes off from end of film Lucius is finally recovering, and he and Ivy are finally getting to start their lives together...but, what if the biggest secret the village ever kept is slowly unraveling...and Lucius and Ivy are holding the loose thread? COMPL
1. Awaken

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

A/N: OK, so, Hi everyone! I wrote this story because, really, after I saw the Village for the first time I was surprised and disappointed that the story ended so abruptly...as I'm sure many were... and of course I LOVE Lucius/Ivy...so... I decided to write this! It pretty much takes off from the end of the film. So, please, read and enjoy!...and _review_!

XxX

Chapter 1

"The essence of romantic love is that wonderful beginning, after which sadness and impossibility may become the rule." Anita Brookner

XxX

The air was thick with the now pungent smell of medicine. It drenched the air so fully that to take a breath was to taste the acrid medicament on your tongue. Though it no longer bothered Ivy Walker, she scarce but noticed it. Her unseeing eyes were trained on the only other being in the room. He lay on the bed completely still, save for his shallow breathing. The stark white sheets were tucked in around him, his face was slack with sleep, and his brow was slightly creased as if something was troubling his dreams. Lucius Hunt.

The doctor had administered the medicine Ivy had brought back several days ago, but Lucius had yet to wake. The doctor said that the medicine would 'take time...' the rest of the sentence was never spoken aloud, 'if it even works at all'. He had been very close to death, Ivy knew, and she prayed with every fiber of her being that he would pull through. He was everything to her. But it was all up to Lucius now, they had done everything they could, Lucius had to will himself awake. And Ivy knew he would...they had but to wait a little longer...and she knew he would awake for her.

She shifted slightly in her chair, propping her wary head up with her arm, and yawned delicately. It was early morning, the sun had just barely began to light the sky, Ivy knew because she could hear, as if in another world, the sounds of the men working the barn animals or the children out to play and the shouts of their parents, the sounds of early morning. A chill made its way down her back and she pulled her dress tighter around herself. She had been sitting up in the chair all night, sometimes getting up to pace around the room, she knew the room so well now, she didn't need a cane. The afternoon before, she had fallen asleep in her chair and had woken up, distressed at first to wonder if Lucius was alright, but rested. That, of course, had gradually worn off and now she was feeling the effects of such little sleep in the past few days.

Her father and Lucius's mother, Alice Hunt, would come in often, sometimes sitting up with her, and always offering to take over her post while she had a rest. She always refused. Sometimes she would fall asleep in her chair and her father would carry her to the only spare bed in the Hunt's house. She always woke up in a panic and stumbled down the hall back to Lucius's room, making sure his condition had not changed for the worse. She was always relieved to find it hadn't, but at the same time, saddened. She wished his condition_ would _change. She hoped one day to stumble into his room and find him sitting up, and feel him staring at her with his deep expressive eyes.

And now Ivy wished for Lucius to simply stir. To roll over in his sleep, to cry out, anything. She pulled her chair closer to the bed and reached out with a shaking hand to the colored aura of Lucius. Almost fearful of hurting him, she gently stroked his soft brown hair. She was slightly surprised by the warmth that radiated from him. Ivy had been convinced he would be cold to the touch, but he was warm, as always. His color got more vibrant by the day, and Ivy took it as a good sign. A very good sign. She pulled her hand away after a moment and stood up.

Sighing, she turned away, looking sightlessly out of the window toward what she knew was the dark Covington woods. The journey she had weathered through those woods burned freshly on her mind and she sighed once more, rubbing her tired eyes.

A moan broke through her reverie. Ivy turned around quickly with a startled gasp and watched Lucius's color move, tossing.

"Lucius" She exhaled quietly, moving quickly to the bed, forgetting the chair was between where she stood and Lucius, she tripped over its leg and collapsed into the side of the bed as the chair skidded across the floor and clattered to the floor.

The noise provoked another moan from the form on the bed, and then a flurry of noise from a few doors down the hall, But Ivy was now breathing hard, sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at Lucius, oblivious to all else.

"Lucius" She repeated reaching out to touch the side of his face.

"Mmph...I-...I-Ivy" His voice was raspy and jagged, slurred and muffled, and so very quiet.

"Lucius" Ivy gasped and stroked the side of his face, tears filling her eyes.

The door burst open and Alice Hunt staggered in.

"What has happened?" She asked breathlessly, not knowing what to expect from the noise she had heard form her room and then she took in the sight in front of her.

"Oh, Lucius!" She cried out and rushed towards the bed, leaning down to kiss her son's slightly fevered forehead.

"M-Mother...?" Lucius turned his head with a slightly painful grimace and squinted at his mother.

"Yes, Lucius, it is I" His mother whispered and pushed the hair off Lucius's forehead. She stared at him with tears in her eyes, doing a better job of keeping them at bay than Ivy, who's were now sliding unchecked down her face.

"Do you feel pain, my son?" Alice asked in a slightly choked voice.

He shook his head, as if to dismiss the questions but winced a little and stopped with the pain of it.

"A little" he admitted with a slightly strained voice. Alice nodded, pressing her lips together firmly and stood up with a last tearful kiss to his hair.

"I'm going to go fetch the doctor, Lucius, do not move about."

He made a movement as if to nod but stopped short and his mother left the room with haste.

He turned his head ever slightly to the right and looked up at Ivy, when he saw the tears on her face his heart clenched.

"Ivy" He pushed the word past his dry, cracked lips and reached a weak shaking hand up to brush the tears from her cheeks.

She let out a half-sob and took Lucius's hand in her own, still quite afraid to damage him.

"Oh, Lucius, I was so worried." Ivy stated in a strangled voice as an explanation for her crying.

"Shh, I am fine" He whispered back in as soothing a voice as he could muster in his state.

"I love you" She said, the words nearly concealed by another sob and she leaned down to kiss the corner of Lucius's mouth.

"And I love you" He whispered weakly back, kissing the hand that held his own.

Ivy smiled through her tears and slowly dropped to kneel by the bed.

"Everything is going to be right, just rest" She murmured comfortingly, pulling herself closer to the bed and wiping her slightly red eyes.

Just then a muted scuffle was heard from the hall and then the doctor, Alice Hunt, and Edward Walker entered the room.

The Doctor was immediately by the side of the bed, leaning over Lucius. Edward put his hands on his daughter's shoulders and squeezed them tightly with a smile on his face, but before he could even speak the doctor straightened up and starting pulling things from his large black bag.

Addressing the others in the room, he spoke. "You all must leave whilst I examine him and tend to his wounds."

Ivy immediately tensed, she did not want to leave Lucius, if only for a moment.

Alice nodded in reluctant consent and stood, taking one last look at her son, before quietly removing herself from the room.

Mr. Walker gently started to pull Ivy away from the bed. "Of course. Come, Ivy"

Ivy reached out to Lucius and tried to evade her father's grasp, crying out "Papa!"

Panic tore at her heart; she did not want to leave her beloved.

Lucius sucked in a painful breath, watching Ivy struggle with her father and reached up slowly to touch her hand.

She squeezed his hand before letting it drop and nodding in unspoken acquiescence. Her father lead her from the room and she stared at the color of Lucius until the door closed and all she could see was black. She turned back to the color of her father.

XxX

The damp morning air stung Ivy's cheeks, whipping her hair across her face. The grass was wet and frigid with the early dew that clung to her bare feet. The crisp icy wind chilled her to the bone. The smell of smoke and burning wood tickled her nose.

Still, she did not want to go back inside. When she left Lucius's room she sat at the table with Alice and her father. Alice had hugged Ivy to her and told her how happy she was that Ivy had gone to the towns to gather medicine to heal her son. She went on about how brave she was to have done it and how it had helped. Her father tried to soothe her as well, but she wanted only to get away. So she excused herself and they reluctantly promised to inform her when the doctor was finished.

And here she stood, freezing, in the gloomy early day, trying to organize her thoughts. Her precious Lucius had finally awoken and her heart had never felt such happiness. A smile spread suddenly across her face. They would soon be able to marry. To share their lives completely, to be together for the rest of their lives. She had never wanted anything more in her life. She had never felt so much love for anyone in her life. And now everything would turn out right.

Ivy turned and carefully made her way up the few steps and into the Hunts' home. Slowly she entered the house and moved towards the kitchen but was stilled by the hushed voices of her father and Mrs. Hunt. Knowing it was wrong, she still took a step closer to the voices, trying to make out the words. She couldn't. But, she could hear the tone in which they spoke. It was the tone in which Ivy and Lucius spoke to each other. A tone filled with care...love. Lucius had been right; Ivy could feel the tension between the two, even as she stood there out of eavesdropping distance. She smiled knowingly and turned back, skimming her hand along the wall, feeling her way towards Lucius's room.

Once she made it to his door she leaned in to hear the quiet voice of the doctor before leaning away and taking a seat on the floor just opposite the door that separated her from her love.

XxX

"Ivy"

She was being shaken awake by her father.

"...Papa?" Ivy blinked.

"The doctor is finished examining Lucius, you may go back inside." His gentle voice broke through her cloud of grogginess. She must have fallen asleep waiting for the doctor to come out. She was huddled against the wall and she grasped out for her father's hand and pushed herself up.

She could see Lucius's color through the doorway and she let go of her father, making her way carefully towards the bed, stretching out her hands before her to make sure she did not run into anything.

"Stop" Lucius's slightly hoarse voice broke the still air. Ivy stopped walking immediately and recoiled her arms.

"What?" She whispered, not knowing what was wrong.

"There is a footstool right before you." The doctor had moved it away from the tall bed so he would have more room to move about by Lucius's bedside and Ivy had nearly tripped over it in her haste.

Ivy reached down to touch it and cautiously stepped over it, making her way to Lucius's bedside before sitting down on the edge.

Mr. Walker smiled at them. The love in their expressions made his heart swell, he remembered what it was like, he_ knew _what it was like. With that thought he turned back to the hall to return to Alice. She was calmed now and they were talking like he knew she wanted to...but, what he really wanted was to flee, to run away and not to have Alice deduce his feelings for her. But, it was his duty to stay with her while the doctor explained Lucius's new needs and the like. After that, he would leave, he assured himself as he walked away from Lucius and Ivy.

A silence had descended upon them. Ivy was not sure what to say, for once in her life. She reached out silently and touched Lucius's chest. It was covered in bandages and she winced as she skimmed her hand over them.

Lucius trembled, he was slightly uncomfortable under her touch, even slightly ashamed of his wounds, but he wasn't quite sure why.

After a moment he pulled her hands away and pulled the blanket up higher, to cover the pristine white bandages that covered him from the top of his trousers to just under his arms.

"The doctor, he told me what you did to make me well." Lucius whispered finally, for once feeling the need to fill a silence with his voice.

Ivy looked down for a moment before looking back up to his face. "He did?" was all she could say.

Lucius nodded then flinched slightly and verbalized his answer. "Yes." When he realized she wasn't going to say anything he spoke again, the reluctance at speaking evident in his voice. "He said you traveled through Covington Woods, to the towns..."

Ivy played with a crease in the bed covers; she did not want to talk about this just yet. Seconds ticked by slowly.

"I did." She murmured reluctantly.

His color pulsed with curiosity and concern.

"...Did the creatures...try to harm you? ...what were the towns like?"

Ivy bit her lips together for a moment. "Can we...speak of this later Lucius?" Her voice shook ever so slightly.

His voice was now concerned and quiet, "All right, I am sorry."

Ivy smiled and put a hand over Lucius's. "Do not apologize" She requested before moving closer to Lucius.

"Do you feel pain any longer?" She whispered.

"Not much."

Ivy smiled. "That is good." She dragged her hand across Lucius's arm. "I am so very happy that you have awoken."

She could hear the rare smile in his voice when he said, "And I as well."

XxX

TBC

Until next time...


	2. Possession of Knowledge

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

A/N: Ok, some things you need to know going into this chapter: ok, first of all, I want to thank all of you for responding to my question about whether Edward Walker was married. I have only seen the movie twice, and it was quite confusing to me lol. But, you all answered that he was married, and now I look back and see my mistake. So thank you all for that! It did really throw me off though. In the first chapter, Ivy seemed kind of happy about the 'Alice and Edward' thing...so I had to try and justify that in this chapter, because I thought him to not have a wife in the first chapter. But, I tried. And um just to mention it: I believe that when Ivy came back from the woods and was kneeling next to Lucius's bed. I think she was so focused on Lucius that she didn't hear anything of what the elders were saying (about Noah) and I just wanted to clarify that for something that happened in the chapter. Ok, last thing _THIS is a flashback_ and_ **THIS is a flashback within a flashback**._ lol, I know it's kind of confusing, but hopefully you'll understand when you read it. Ok, enough of this talk! On with the show!

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Chapter 2

"The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. There is always more mystery." Anais Nin

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The morning was achingly silent. The fog hung so thick in the air that the world seemed to disappear into it, making it difficult, if at all possible, to see more than a few yards in front of you. Ivy Walker, the only person outside on this exceptionally cold morn, would not have noticed the fog even if she could see it. She was walking very quickly, her cane, she swung in front of her, counting methodically under her breath. The long skirt of her dress brushed the dew off of the grass and soaked the bottom few inches of the heavy material. Ivy clutched her cane tightly as a wave of anger washed over her for the umpteenth time of that short day.

It was several days after Lucius had awoken, and the only reason that forced her to walk through these frigid conditions this morning, was that her mother had insisted, _insisted_, that she not impose on the Hunt's for one more night. Alice Hunt had offered, most graciously, that having Ivy there was no trouble at all, it was even quite enjoyable, she had said. That, it seemed, had made her mother all the more angry, and when she insisted again that Ivy stay at home, no one argued.

Ivy felt a deep need to stay by Lucius while he recovered further, the more time passed. Lucius had tried to comfort her, but it was no use. She needed to be with Lucius, to help him, and her mother was trying to drag her away from him. 'When you two are wed, you may be with him as often as you like', that was Mrs. Walker's reasoning. But, how, Ivy wondered spitefully, were they to get married when Lucius had trouble walking, sometimes even standing for a spell? Ivy started to whip her cane angrily through the high grass. She felt a childish annoyance built up inside of her at her mother's interference. She had never been as close to her mother as she had her father, never. Her mother had always favored Kitty, and in some deep, hidden way she felt like her mother thought her to be 'not good enough' because of her blindness. Damaged, in some uncontrollable way. When she mentioned this thought to her father, some time ago, he had dismissed it with terribly ferocity. He insisted that her mother loved her all the same, but she was never quite as certain.

Ivy sighed deeply, the anger and sadness and chill were all getting to her. The hand that clutched her cane was now numbed cold, her other hand was shoved deep into the warm pocket of her father's coat. He had draped it over her shoulders when she insisted she was going to visit Lucius this morning. She asked if he would come with her, but he refused. She knew why. She remembered the warm tensions she felt between the two...the feelings she felt they had for each other, her father and Alice Hunt. And she knew that her father wanted nothing but to distance himself from Alice. He was married, and that's all there was to it. Ivy, however, was terribly mixed about the whole matter. She, no matter what was to come, still loved her mother, of course, in a way that a daughter unconditionally loves her mother, even while feeling the strains of arguments and discontents. However, she could feel the strain, the bad tension, between her father and mother now. To the outside world, they might look like two loving, caring, married people, but when they thought they were alone, they were different.

Nothing of awful discourse, by any means, but something rather felt, than seen. A small difference that could matter nothing, or could matter all the world. One night, not too long ago, Ivy was supposed to be sleeping, but due to her state of undrowsiness, she lie awake, staring unseeingly at the ceiling, her ears straining to the sounds of crickets and nightly breeze. Her ears picked up something not as pleasant though, as she listened further. The muffled sound of two quietly arguing voices. That of her mother and father. The moment she heard it, she felt a weight settle in her stomach. Her parents never argued. And as time went on, from that first glimpse into the part of their relationship that they had kept so private, the weight began to slowly melt away. It became natural, for her parents not to be as loving or as caring to each other as she had thought they were, or how she thought they should be. She was not certain if they had always been like this, and she was just noticing it now because of her suspicions, or if this really was a changing point. If this really was the start of them growing apart.

Just the thought of that made the weight settle back into Ivy's stomach. If really, they were 'falling out of love' so to speak, and they both wanted something else, something more. If they both decided mutually, that their marriage was over, Ivy would be glad that they had figured it out, and were trying to make each other and themselves happier. But, the routine, the way of life, which was molded to her by her parents' marriage, was a good thing too...and if not entirely good every waking moment, it was, as she said, routine. It was just the way it was, and letting go of that would be hard, no doubt. But, Ivy was certain that the day would never come. They would never separate, her father and mother, she could see the obligation they felt to each other, and she thought that was wonderful as well. Maybe she was making her parents' marriage to be worse than it was anyway, they still loved each other, you could tell just by being near them. And if not for the 'love' between Alice and her father, which Lucius had pointed out, she doubted she would even be questioning her parents relationship.

Of course, on the other side, Ivy loved Alice Hunt. She felt a connection with her, and obviously, so did her father. If her father really loved Lucius's mother, Ivy decided that that would not be so bad. If he really loved her, he should be with her. But, again, back to the obligation of his marriage. This was so terribly confusing that it split Ivy's head just to ponder it, and she decided right then, to just let it be, and what happened happened, and everything would turn out for the best. Besides, her cane had just made a resounding 'thunk' when it came into contact with the wooden steps of the Hunts' house.

She pushed the door open and then hesitated. It was not proper to just enter a house without being invited. So she took a step back and closed the door again, pulling her fist up to knock, and then hesitated once again. Was it too early in the morning to be forcing her entrance into their house? She stood for a moment, in the brisk cold, doubting her impulse to go check on Lucius... perhaps her mother was right. But, as she stood there, the door creaked open.

"Oh, Ivy!" Alice's voice reached Ivy's ears before she could even respond, "I thought it was the door opening that I heard."

"I apologize, did I wake you?" Ivy whispered back.

"No, I was not sleeping," She answered with a reassuring smile, "Lucius awoke me early this morning. He was feeling some pain."

The mention of Lucius in pain pushed every other thought out of Ivy's head. "Pain? Is he not feeling well?" Her voice rose ever so slightly in panic, he had been recovering so well, had something happened?

"No, No" Alice ensured quickly, "No, he is well now. He was simply feeling pain from his healing wounds. The doctor insists that it is necessary for recovery, quite natural. I administered the medicines and he is no longer feeling any pain."

Ivy let out a breath in relief and nodded. "May I see him?"

Mrs. Hunt smiled, "Of course," and took Ivy's arm, helping her into the house. Ivy walked confidently, with Alice's assistance, through the house and through Lucius's open bedroom door, into his room.

She could see his color, now nearly blinding compared to the dull color he gave off before his recovery had started, glowing from the middle of the room, where he lay.

"Lucius, you have a visitor." His mother called out, guiding Ivy into the room.

"Ivy," Lucius stated in happy surprise. "I was not expecting you until later," he went on, pulling the blanket higher over his half exposed chest in modesty, although it was quite plain that it didn't matter to Ivy's blind eyes.

She smiled. It was so easy to see how much more he spoke now in her company, compared to the few words they were so accustomed to exchanging before, and how the words came more easily. It made her heart beat quicken.

"I came as soon as I awoke." She replied with affection as she knelt down next to his bed.

Alice smiled and made to leave, "I must go ready myself for this afternoon. Recall, Lucius, that the doctor agreed that you may go, only if you feel you are ready."

He said nothing and she turned and left, but the words she spoke left a heavy silence in the room. Ivy had pushed it to the back of her mind, had tried so hard to forget it. So hard, that it almost worked, but now, it all came screaming back. The silence grew even thicker and Lucius's color flickered.

"Are you...well enough to go this afternoon?" Ivy whispered finally, when she could take no more of the deafening silence.

"...Yes, I... think I would like to be outside for a while." He answered after quite a long hesitation.

She nodded.

Silence.

"...Are_ you _going to be all right?" Lucius asked quietly.

She did not respond right away. The silence hung in heavy curtains around them. It enveloped them together. The silence extended throughout the village and settled like a thick dust, covering everything. To disturb it was improper, it was to be tolerated and carried. This silence was one of sadness and mourning. It was suspended over the village where it would stay until the day turned to night, and the night into day again. Today was a day of grieving, for today was Noah's funeral.

"Ivy?" Lucius's voice broke through her thoughts and she turned her head sharply to his color.

He was not informed of what had happened to Noah. What had _really_ happened. He was under the impression that Noah had been killed by a creature in the woods. He still thought the creatures were real. She had thought the same not so long ago. Oh, how her thinking had changed in such a short time. She had been perfectly happy not knowing that the creatures were farce. But, still, she was angry that she had not been told sooner.

What had happened to Noah. That was something else entirely. Ivy still felt like a stake had been driven into her heart. It hurt to even think of Noah, and she wondered, would she be able to get through the funeral? She knew she had to go...she had such mixed feelings about Noah that she could not even sort them out properly, and even now, the day she had found out what had really happened to Noah still burned freshly in her mind.

XxX

_"Ivy, please, the doctor needs to administer the medicine," Edward Walker tried to consol his daughter into leaving the room. It had been minutes since she arrived back from the woods, and now the doctor was asking everyone to leave so that he could tend to Lucius. Ivy would not move. _

_"Is Lucius going to be all right?" She asked the doctor, ignoring her father._

_"He's going to be fine, Come, Ivy, we need to leave." Mr. Walker spoke again, taking Ivy and trying to guide her away. The doctor went on, pulling bandages and materials from his bag._

_Ivy squeezed Lucius's limp hand before her father pulled her away and out of the house. There were people standing all about, talking amongst themselves and they turned as they saw Ivy and the elders coming out of the Hunts' house._

_Ivy stood in her dirty clothes, weary from travel, her heart breaking at the thought of Lucius still not recovering, the stress of everything that had happened in such a short time, the people that stood in front of her now, wondering. She couldn't process it all. She took a deep breath and burst into tears._

_"Ivy," Her father turned to her and reached out to comfort her, but she didn't want comfort, she wanted to get away. She turned from her father's bright color and started running, blindly._

_She didn't care where she went, only vaguely aware of where she was going. She kept going, running as fast as she could. _

_After running out much of her stress and anger, and stumbling quite a few times across the village, she slowed to walk, and, breathing hard, she held her hands out, now suddenly more conscious of her helplessness. She had no idea where she was. But, she hadn't taken more than a couple yards' worth of steps when her hand ran into something hard. She felt around the hard surface carefully, trying to make out what it was. The smooth painted wood gave away it's identity as a building. She felt around carefully, moving around the side and nearly tripped over the front steps. She reached up and stroked the door, taking hold of the distinct handle. This was the door to the quiet room. _

_Ivy stood without moving. The quiet room. The last place she had seen Noah. His screams after she had slapped him echoed in her ears and she gasped._

_She doubted he was still in the quiet room but she turned the handle anyway. _

_"Noah?" She asked the emptiness, opening the door all the way and listening carefully. She heard nothing. Not even breathing. Of course he wasn't still in here, he was at home. She nodded, that was it, he was at home. Ivy was still mad at Noah, understandably, for hurting Lucius, but right now, she wanted to talk to him more than she wanted to be mad at it him. She turned and counted her steps as she moved quickly towards the Percys' house._

_Before she was even halfway there, a hand enclosed around her upper arm and she started, seeing her father's color before her._

_"Ivy, I know you are upset..."_

_She lost count of her steps and stopped to look at her father. _

_"Papa, where is Noah?" She didn't know why, but it seemed like the most important thing in the world at the moment._

_Her question was met with silence._

_"Papa?"_

_Ivy couldn't know it, but her father was struggling to find an answer._

_"Ivy," His voice was heavy with melancholy. "... Noah...found one of the creature suits we kept under the floorboards of the quiet room..." Mr. Walker spoke reluctantly, but he knew he had to tell her, she had to know._

_Ivy processed, dully, what her father was saying._

_...a creature suit._

_XxX_

_**She felt the jagged parts protruding from the fallen log, fear pounding through her veins like blood. The crunching footsteps of the creature, running at her, sounded in time with the beating of her frantic heart.**_

_**She stood stock still as the creature grew ever closer, waiting for the right moment to move.**_

_**...not too soon... The footsteps were right behind her.**_

_**Now. **_

_**After a slight hesitation, she moved swiftly to the side as the creature ran past her and fell into the deep hole.**_

**_She could hear it hit the muddy bottom and, gasping for breath, she whirled around, a large sharp stick in her grasp, ready to us, if necessary. But, the creature didn't move, it didn't make a sound. It lie still as she paused there. Maybe too hurt to move, maybe dead. She didn't know, she didn't care. Her mind was focused solely on Lucius. Ivy backed away. and fled._**

_XxX_

_The human breathing. _

_The familiar feel of the presence of the creature. _

_Noah was too innocent to be taken by a creature._

_Innocent._

_"Papa..." Ivy's voice was small and broken. "No..." She whispered and reached out to her father in a state of shock._

_"No!" She shouted suddenly, collapsing into tears._

_Her father pulled her tightly to him as she sobbed, "I did not mean to, Papa!...I did not know...I did not know..."_

XxX

Ivy had not said anything for several moments and Lucius thought it was merely the mourning of Noah. He knew it had hit her hard and he wanted to help her. He hated to see Ivy in pain, and now he could see the pain on her face. He reached out and took her hand in his, not knowing what to say, and squeezed it gently.

Ivy took a deep breath before squeezing his hand back and turning to look at his flaming color. She could hear the unheard questions heavy in the air between them. She knew what Lucius wished to know, and she wanted nothing more than to tell him. But, protecting him...from the pain...the knowledge...was also something that was paramount in her mind. And, which was most important, between wanting to tell him and wanting to protect him, was a difficult question to answer. The silence made all of the questions more pronounced and even harder to ignore. Ivy took a deep breath before speaking.

"Lucius, I know you have questions..."

He sucked in a breath and listened carefully, waiting for her to go on, his mind flashing back to the first day he started to recover and their conversation. She was finally going to tell him what happened in the woods. He held his breath, waiting for her to speak further.

Ivy sighed and went on in a quiet voice, "But, I shall _not_ tell you your color..."

She leaned in close to Lucius, her voice dropping even lower, "_Stop. Asking_."

XxX

TBC

A/N: Ok, well...what did you think? Was my way with dealing with the "Alice Edward" thing ok? I was really worried about that once I found out about the whole 'he has a wife' thing lol. And again, I feel my dialogue sucks. I know you all say it's fine (thank you! So sweet) but, I don't know... it feels wrong to me...or something. I find myself looking up origin dates of every word I use lol. Oh well, I tried right?

Until next time...


	3. The secret sits

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 3

"We dance round in a ring and suppose, while the secret sits in the middle and knows." Robert Frost

XxX

The early evening wind was cold and cruel. In its powerful gusts and angry force it howled in intense anguish. The wind's despair whipped the drizzling rain into an icy furore, for the dismal sky had seemed to open up and weep bitterly. The trees moaned in grief as they bowed down in hopeless sorrow. The whole world seemed to mourn violently the death Noah Percy.

Ivy stood, among the roar of mother nature and the whisper of the other members of the village with a far-away look in her unfocused eyes.

"Ivy,"

A hand on her shoulder pulled her away from the haunting memories. She turned and blinked at her father's fierce color.

"Are you all right?" Mr. Walker leaned in close to be heard.

Ivy smiled bravely and nodded. She was anything but all right. Her father hesitated only momentarily before squeezing his daughter's shoulder and moving on to stand by Mr. And Mrs. Percy. She let out a breath of relief that dissipated into the air with a hiss. It seemed the whole village had asked her if she was 'all right'. At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to scream at the top of her lungs.

As a voice droned on, words of memorial carried away with the wind, Ivy's mind floated back to thoughts of Noah.

Noah had loved her. The reason Noah had stabbed Lucius was his _love_ for her. He had loved her enough to hurt Lucius, his only other true friend, to have her to himself. The act was selfish, yes, but done in love. Everything... Lucius's pain, her journey through the woods, and finally Noah's demise, were all caused by Ivy's being with Lucius. Her selfish wish for love had caused all this suffering and pain. _One love to sacrifice another was not right._

Lucius had been watching Ivy for all of the time since the funeral had been commenced. He saw the pain on her face as plain as day and it caused a pang of agony to strike deep in his chest. He wanted more than anything to make her truly happy once again. So, with one hand propping him solidly against a temporary cane, he reached out and took hold of Ivy's cold, clammy hand. He rubbed her fingers gently to warm them.

Ivy started silently in surprise at the touch. She wanted to move closer to Lucius, really, she did. But, instead she pulled her hand from his grasp and crossed her arms around herself. She could not see the look of hurt and disappointment this provoked on Lucius's face, but it was there all the same. He watched her for a moment before turning back to the service dejectedly.

Ivy let out a strangled sob that was muffled by the wind and tightened her arms around herself. She felt a stab of misery, but it did not overwhelm her feeling of guilt. One love to sacrifice another was not right. Isn't that what she had done? Sacrifice Noah's love, without a second thought, for her love of Lucius. And now he lie in the wooden casket. Dead. And it was all her fault.

XxX

Lucius stood, for the rest of the service, in a torrent of mild insecurities and deep concerns. He knew Ivy was mourning Noah, the whole village was. He could feel the heaviness in his heart for his lost friend Noah, of course, but, he could also feel the lightness, the love in his heart for Ivy. Could she not feel both at once? She had been unnaturally quiet, since they had left his house, and distant, but not deliberately avoiding him until right now. What had generated this he did not know but he would ask, he told himself, right after the service.

The stormy weather had calmed, leaving the air chilly and damp, drops of condensation had settled on the grass like glittering diamonds and the wind had lost its voice and fury. It had abated into an idle breeze that played with the now gently swaying trees. The lull in the storm made Ivy all the more angry. When the weather reflected how she felt on the inside it made her feelings a lot easier to deal with. Now that all was calm, it made her feel contained and she was contemplating turning and running, no matter how rude it would be to the memory of Noah. Thankfully for her, the memoriam was brought to a conclusion at that very moment. Also, she thought, thankfully for Lucius, who was swaying slightly on his feet, not used to standing for such a long time.

Everyone quietly started to filter away from the grave site, Mr. And Mrs. Percy staying behind. Lucius let out a small noise of strain as he shifted his feet and Ivy silently reached out and took a hold of his arm, helping him turn and start walking back towards his house. After a few moments of silent, slow walking, Lucius broke the stillness with a voice full of evident physical strain.

"Ivy..."

"Lucius, you should not have been standing for so long, you are straining yourself." Ivy said quickly, cutting off whatever it was Lucius was trying to say. She didn't want to get into the conversation Lucius did, she knew.

"I am all right." He whispered after a very long hesitation.

As Ivy's mind raced to find something to say before Lucius spoke again, Lucius's mother walked up to them.

"Lucius, you should have went to rest some time ago...you are going to hurt yourself...I do not know what that doctor was thinking..." Alice helped Ivy support her son up the mellow hill as she spoke with motherly concern.

Lucius did not respond, but his mother did not seem to think anything of it. Ivy saw this as an opening to get away.

"Mrs. Hunt, can you help Lucius home alone? I would...like to go talk to my father."

Lucius felt the way her hands trembled in their hold of his arm and when his mother answered with an "Of course, Dear." he felt the way she pulled her hand away from him as if he had burned her.

She turned from Lucius's color and walked quickly away, as fast as one could walk without breaking into a run. Her abrupt get away shocked Lucius.

_...what had he done?_

"Ivy!" He called after her, but she did not turn back, her steps did not even falter.

"Lucius, keep your voice low. Be respectful." His mother whispered, referring to the mourners, saying something to her son she thought she'd never say. She did not notice, though, how Ivy had gone off in the way opposite of her father. Lucius did. It made him feel all the worse and he bowed his head as his mother helped him up their steps.

XxX

Ivy heard Lucius call out to her and she wanted to turn and run back to him but she didn't. She couldn't. She didn't want him to see the tears in her eyes.

She had no idea where she was running, as long as it was away. Away from the awkward, painful silence and the grieving and the crying and the guilt. Everything was overwhelming her and she went to the only place she could think of right now. The quiet room.

XxX

Ivy stood in front of the Hunts' house and knocked sharply on the door.

It had been nearly two hours since she had left the funeral.

She had hastened to the quiet room and then perched on the steps and just sat in the rapidly cooling breeze for close to an hour. Just sitting and thinking and crying. The thinking was the hardest. It hurt to think of Noah. It physically hurt, deep in her chest. When Lucius was ill, it was easy to push these thoughts out of her head and focus on only her engaged. But, now…now, it was nearly all she could think about, it was suffocating her.

Her mind was also over occupied by the way Lucius's color had muddied slightly after she evaded him. She could tell how Lucius was feeling just by being near him, but the color made it unavoidable and she had to keep her eyes from him, and she knew he had noticed her neglect. She knew. But, she wanted to shield him from these things she had done, these things she knew. Deep down she knew it was wrong, but she just wasn't ready to deal with that yet.

She had been buried in these thoughts when her father had interrupted them. She had seen his color coming and was glad to see it. By then she was craving advice. Anything to help her, even to simply talk about it. And her father was the best person for that. He was the only person she could talk to that knew about Noah and everything else going on in her life.

Her father sat down next to her, and before he had even time to say 'Hello', she had started to blurt out her thoughts. Her father sat there patiently until she had finished, her having too hard a time breathing to go on, and then gave her a kiss on the forehead and some comforting words of condolence. Then some words of truth.

"_Ivy, it seems to me that you need to speak with Lucius. You argued with me for quite a time to get permission to tell him about the creatures and you have told him nothing yet. I know you want to protect him, but he must know what is going on in that head of yours. I know 'tis difficult, and you can take your time with it, Ivy, but not too long, you understand. I tried to protect you for so long from the dangers of the things beyond our borders, but I realized, finally, that you had to know the truth. Lucius deserves the truth too, Ivy. Is that not what you told me?"_

It was. She had argued with her father, trying to convince him into letting her tell Lucius everything when he awoke. At the time she was arguing in a fit of anger at Lucius's failure to awake. She wanted the permission to tell him when he awoke because it was something to help convince herself that he _would_ awake. And now he had. And he deserved to know the truth. Not just about the creatures, the towns but about everything she had been feeling in the last couple of days, and the horrible horrible thing she had done to Noah.

Ivy brought her hand up and knocked again, confidently, and it was only a moment before the door was opened.

"Ivy," Alice's surprise was evident in her voice, for good reason. The sky was lit only by the low moon and the village's lanterns that were flaming in the night.

"I apologize, again, Mrs. Hunt, but I really must speak with Lucius." Ivy pleaded gently.

After a short hesitation, "Oh, of course, please come inside." She opened the door for Ivy and let her by.

"Sit down, I will go fetch Lucius," Alice ushered Ivy in carefully before hurrying down the hall.

Ivy groped blindly before her hands found a chair and she sat down stiffly, setting her cane down on floor and listening anxiously to the muffled voice of Mrs. Hunt until she heard the uneven footsteps.

"Ivy,"

She turned to see Lucius's color coming slowly into the room, his cane thudding quietly on the floor.

"Lucius, you should be resting, I should not have come." Ivy replied quietly, now wishing she had thought this over more.

"No, Ivy, please, I want to talk to you." He hobbled to the chair opposite her and sat down.

Ivy smiled a little, "Lucius Hunt _wants_ to talk..."

His color brightened and she suddenly lost the courage to speak what she had come to say, so she sat in silence. After a drawn out pause, Lucius spoke.

"Ivy...did I do something wrong?" He whispered into the still air.

His words had erased everything Ivy had rehearsed saying on the walk over here, they shocked her so, that her words came slightly delayed. "No! No, it is not anything you have done, Lucius. It is not."

He waited for her to go on and, finally, she did.

"I...I told my sister, when we announced our betrothal, that to sacrifice one love for another was wrong..."

Lucius did not understand what Ivy was trying to say so he sat without speaking.

Ivy had decided to start with the easiest point of discussion: Why she had been avoiding Lucius today. It really hadn't been fair to him, she realized, without explaining what was plaguing her thoughts.

She took a deep breath and broke the silence.

"Do you not agree, Lucius?" Ivy prompted.

"Yes," He answered quickly for the sake of agreeing.

"...and I had considered my sister's love...but, not Noah's..."

Lucius still did not understand, and he told her so.

"I sacrificed Noah's love for me, for the love that we share, Lucius, do you not see that?" Her voice was slightly higher pitched in worry.

He let out a breath. He was not fond of the way this conversation was going. Not at all fond.

"You did not sacrifice his love, Ivy. You did nothing wrong." He assured her hastily, his tone emphatic.

"But, I did...I did, Lucius! I was selfish, I thought of myself before I thought of how Noah would feel. And now...now I feel like I can't..." Ivy was having trouble finding her words, but Lucius filled in the blanks.

"You do not want to marry me anymore." He said stolidly, as if it were a fact and not a question.

"No! No, Lucius." Ivy answered immediately with fear in her voice. She quickly moved to kneel on the floor and felt for Lucius's hand, taking it tightly in her own grasp and squeezing it.

"I love you," Ivy started quietly, "I want to marry you more than anything I have ever wanted. It is just that I feel such _guilt_ for what I did to Noah...I do not know how to make it disappear..." She breathed out, staring at Lucius's now fiery color.

There was a long pause where neither of them said a word.

"And I love you," Lucius whispered finally, before leaning down slowly, taking Ivy's face gently between his hands, and capturing her lips in a soft kiss. And in that instant, Ivy no longer felt her overwhelming guilt. It had, for the moment at least, disappeared.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…


	4. Obliged to stick

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 4

"Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities. Truth isn't." Mark Twain

XxX

The still night was disturbed only by the gentle breeze and the only sounds to be heard came from the wind passing through the swaying trees and the crickets' enthusiastic chirping. The moon was full and so blindingly bright that it bathed the entire village in grey light. The stars hung like sparkling jewels, suspended on the dark velvet sheet of sky. There were no clouds to be seen this night, and it was so peaceful and picturesque that it could have been mistaken for a dream. And a dream it was. Not a dream that one finds only in their sleep, but a living, breathing, real-life dream. A dream that many people longed for, and a dream that too many people took for granted. In this dream lay an impossibly beautiful night, the end to a horribly hectic day.

It had been the day after Noah Percy's funeral. The Village had come to a standstill on that day. They stopped everything, their work, their school, and their lives, to mourn and respect Noah. It had been a hard day. For everyone.

But today was also hard. Work was started again, school was brought back to session, and everyone had to pick up the lives that they had dropped the day before. It had been exceptionally hard for Ivy Walker. No, she no longer went to school and neither did she work. But since they had lost a whole day's worth of activity, the men had quite a bit of work to do, and Lucius had been called upon to do some light, simple work. He had been instructed, of course, that if he was feeling unwell, he could rest. But, Ivy knew, Lucius wouldn't back out of a job that needed doing and that worried her for most of the morning, until she went out to check on him after lunch.

He had been sitting, when she found him, on the porch of one of the work buildings on the outskirts of the cluster of village houses. His color was slightly duller than normal, but constant.

"_Hello, Lucius" She called cheerfully as she carefully made her way up the steps and went to his side._

"_Ivy," His voice reflected the fact that he was slightly puzzled as to why she was there._

_She leaned in close and whispered "Is there anyone close by?"_

_She could hear the voices and sounds of men working, but they were muffled by the walls of buildings._

"…_No," he answered quietly as his eyes searched her face._

_She leaned in to kiss him and he moved his hand up to guide her face as their lips touched briefly, and then she pulled away._

"_What is it you are doing out here?" She asked him, taking a seat next to him._

"_I am on break."_

"_Good. Are they letting you rest? Are you tired? My father said that if need be-" She was starting to ramble as Lucius cut her off._

"_I am fine, Ivy. I swear it." He barely got the words out of his mouth before a voice from inside the building called out, "Hunt!"_

"_I am sorry. I must get back to work." Lucius apologized as he made to get up._

"_All right," Ivy sighed, disappointed that they had to separate again so quickly._

"_I will see you at dinner. If you are not too tired, perhaps we can go for a walk after…" She added this hopefully._

"_I am afraid I cannot. It is my turn to stay in the watchtower." Lucius stood up and took hold of Ivy's hand, helping her to stand._

"_No, Lucius. You are still in recovery!" Ivy turned sharply to him._

"_I had this talk with your father, Ivy. It is my duty to watch tonight, and all that is required to do so is to sit there." Lucius's tone was patient._

_Ivy sighed. Lucius could be very stubborn when he wanted to be, and when it came to his duties, he was at his most stubborn._

"_But, Lucius, why is it that someone else cannot go in your place?"_

"_I do not have to be in the tower very often, Ivy, we all take turns, and tonight is my night, it has been scheduled for quite some time. Why force someone else to go in my place when I am able to go?" He implored Ivy earnestly._

_Before Ivy could respond the same voice as before called out, "Lucius Hunt!"_

"_I really must go, Ivy, I will come to walk you to dinner." Lucius said quickly, pulling away from her._

"_All right, Don't work too hard." She squeezed his hand tightly before letting it go and watching his color disappear through the door._

That was all she had seen of Lucius the whole day, besides the very short dinner, and she was missing him terribly. After all the days they had spent together while Lucius was recovering, it was hard to be alone all day. Usually, when she was lonely, she would play with Noah. He used to always be there…but he would never be there again.

Ivy lay in bed, not able to sleep. The house was still and silent, for her parents were gone at a meeting of the elders and she was all alone in the house. Usually she shared a room with her sister, but Kitty had, of course, moved into a house with her new husband.

Ivy thought of Lucius sitting all alone in the watchtower, in the quiet night, and carefully got out of her bed. It was so difficult to think of him sitting out in the cold, for no reason. He did not have to watch for creatures…they would never come. They were not real. It was unfair for him to think so, and to be there on his own when it was not really necessary for anyone to be there at all.

She felt around carefully and took her cane in one hand, swinging it needlessly as she walked through her house to the front door.

XxX

_Thump._

Lucius's weary head shot up at the sound that broke the tranquil silence. He stay still, listening sharply for the same sound. Instead he heard the creak of old wood.

He moved to the trap door quietly and opened it, after a moment. Just then a hand shot up from the hole in the floor and Lucius inhaled sharply in surprise.

"Lucius?" Ivy asked as she took hold of the edge and climbed up higher on the ladder rungs so that her upper body was in the compartment atop the tower.

"…Ivy?" Lucius asked quizzically. It took a moment to recover from the surprise before he took hold of Ivy's elbow and helped her up, then closed the trap door after her.

"Uh, Ivy…what are you doing here?" Lucius asked finally as Ivy sat down carefully.

She smiled brightly at him. "I could not sleep so I came to visit you. I thought you might be bored."

Ivy's white nightgown was flowing in the breeze and she wrapped her arms around herself to ward off the chill.

"Ivy, you must be cold."

"Well, I was not cold when I left the house, but I must admit it is starting to get quite a bit colder." She rubbed her hands over her arms to warm herself up a little.

Lucius shifted away from the wall and quickly peeled off his coat before wrapping it around Ivy's shoulders tightly.

"Thank you." She murmured, smiling as she snuggled into the coat and scooted over closer to Lucius. Leaning into his side, she dropped her head to his shoulder and closed her eyes. She felt so perfect, sitting there. The peace in the air seemed to have seeped through her skin and settled in her soul. Surrounded now by warmth and the distinct scent of Lucius, she felt completely contented.

"Are you tired, Lucius? You did not work too hard did you?" She asked him with a heavy voice. Though she felt she could stay up all night when she was at home, now she was struggling to stay awake.

"I am a little tired, I suppose. But I barely worked at all, I was only there to help." He answered her quietly as he put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her tighter to him.

"Mmm, good." She mumbled a reply sleepily, turning her face into Lucius's shoulder.

He relaxed back into the wall and moved his hand up to idly stroke her soft hair. It was only a few minutes later that Ivy fell into a sound, serene sleep.

XxX

It was nearly half an hour later when Lucius awoke. He was jolted into consciousness and it didn't take long to figure out what had roused him from his sleep.

There was a tumultuous roar from overhead and he started, looking up in surprise.

There was what seemed to be…a large metal flying…thing gliding through the air above them. He could make it out distinctly in the full moonlit sky. It was massive and unlike anything Lucius had ever seen, reminiscent, maybe, of an enormous bird. It even had wings. But, they did not flap. It seemed as if it was suspended in air…being pulled by strings. But, Lucius was certain that anything pulled by strings would not be making so much of a terrible noise. It was a rumbling deeply from its very throat and it made the air tremble all around him. There were, what seemed to be, oddly red hued, flickering lanterns attached to its body and Lucius watched in complete awe as it flew on and finally disappeared over the horizon of the woods.

After it had gotten so far that you could no longer hear its noise it was as if all the sound had been sucked out of the air and Lucius felt as if he had gone deaf. It took him a long, long moment to overcome his shock, but once he snapped out of it, he looked down to find, incredulously, that Ivy was still asleep.

XxX

The elders had heard the sound and recognized it immediately. An airplane. But, It was impossible.

Edward Walker was the first to react to the noise. He hastened up and rushed out of the building into the cool night air, the others following quickly behind him. All of the elders turned their faces up to the sky. And they saw it as clear as day. It _was_ an airplane. It was a very real, very loud, airplane.

They simply watched, not moving, as it flew by, over the village and then disappeared with an over-loud clamor.

Alice Hunt was the first one to speak, her tones hushed. "How did that fly into our borders?"

She was answered by silence, and then by Edward.

"I do not know," He whispered into the air and then turned as he looked around at all the houses. Thank the Lord, he thought, that they were all dark and silent.

"That should not have happened…" Mrs. Walker sounded fearful and slightly angry. The rest of the group broke into whispers of speculation.

Mr. Walker turned back to the group with a deep sigh and held up his hand to quiet them.

"I do not know how that happened but, we are thankful that it happened at night. that no one was awake and that no one is out of their houses."

They nodded as one and whispered in agreement.

Alice's eyes followed the line of lanterns across the village and then her gaze settled on the glow of light coming from the watchtower.

"Someone _is_ out of their house..." She said suddenly, looking directly at Edward. "Lucius."

There was a silence then and Edward's eyes too traveled to the tower.

"All right," He paused for a moment, "Everyone, return to your houses. I will go and fetch Lucius and see if he saw anything or if he knows what he saw and I will have a talk with him." He directed the last part of his sentence mostly at Alice and she nodded, staring directly in his eyes.

XxX

"Ivy," Lucius whispered down into Ivy's hair. She was lying, half on Lucius's chest, the rest of her body curled against him. He shifted her a little, but she didn't reply, or even move. He shook his head incredibly as he listened to her steady, shallow breathing. He thought that her acute hearing would have picked up on the sound of the loud metallic bird, but she had completely slept through it.

Just then the trapdoor thumped in front of him and he jerked, pulling Ivy closer to him.

"Who is it?" He called quietly. The door was pushed open and Ivy's father appeared up from the trap.

"It is I…I hope I did not startle you." Mr. Walker climbed in fully and kneeled next to the door with care before his eyes fell on Ivy.

"Ivy came to visit?" Edward smiled in amusement.

Lucius blushed slightly and looked down, saying nothing. This made Edward chuckle and Lucius blush harder.

"I came to tell you that you may go home now. The elder meeting has just finished." Mr. Walker said this slowly, trying to think of someway to bring up the airplane tactfully or maybe he would wait until Ivy was back in bed and he could talk to Lucius without fear of Ivy, or anyone else, for that matter, hearing.

Lucius nodded and then took a deep breath before looking up at Edward.

"Mr. Walker, I think I saw something…out of the ordinary tonight." He decided to ease into it.

Mr. Walker nodded slowly and looked at Lucius carefully. "What is it you think you saw?"

"Well," Lucius paused, collecting his thoughts, "It seemed to be…this flying…metal…bird…of some sort."

Edward took a moment to look puzzled and decide how to take care of this.

But, when Lucius saw the look on Mr. Walker's face he started to doubt what he saw…If the others did not hear it, maybe he had thought it up…

"You…did not see it? Or hear it? It was quite loud."

Edward heard the doubt now in Lucius's voice and that made up his mind, "No, I did not see or hear anything out of the ordinary…are you quite sure it was really there? It sounds to me as if you have dreamed it up. Were you sleeping?"

Lucius nodded, ashamed that he had fallen sleep at his post, but Mr. Walker smiled kindly at him.

"Well, then, that must have been it, eh? Let us get you home so you can get some sleep. Your help will not be needed tomorrow, so you may stay home and rest up." Edward put his hand on Lucius's arm and prompted him to nod, which he did.

"Thank you, Mr. Walker."

Ivy's father nodded and took a hold of his daughter's shoulders, trying to shake her awake.

"Ivy, Honey, wake up."

She stirred slowly and mumbled into Lucius's shoulder before finally rising from her deep slumber.

"Lucius… Papa?" He voice was thick with sleep and she blinked her eyes, seeing her father's distinct color as well as Lucius's.

"Yes, Ivy, come now, 'tis time to come home." Her father spoke gently as he helped her to the trapdoor.

"Yes, Papa." She yawned and let him and Lucius guide her down to the damp, dewy grass.

The three of them, together, walked back to the blacked out village in late night silence, before Ivy and Mr. Walker bid Lucius goodnight at his door.

Ivy kissed Lucius on the cheek, which made his face flush slightly in the presence of Ivy's father, and then she made him promise he would come over the next morning. He said we would, of course, and then he retreated to his bed, where he would lie, hours from now, and dream of noisy, flying, metallic birds.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…


	5. Who keeps truth

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 5

"With the truth, you need to get rid of it as soon as possible and pass it on to someone else. As with illness, this is the only way to be cured of it. The person who keeps truth in his hands has lost." Jean Baudrillard

XxX

It was quite late in the morning when Lucius awoke. The sun had been up for hours and had warmed the very air that he breathed. It had spread to every corner of the village and lit up the entire world, it seemed. The air smelled of damp wood that was carried with the crisp smell of the fresh air. The sound of men working and children at play could be heard through the window and the curtains fluttered with the sweet-smelling breeze. The glory of it all seemed magnified a hundred fold to Lucius Hunt. His heart seemed full to bursting and it made it hard to breathe, in an amazing, in-love kind of way. He wasn't sure if it was his love for Ivy, how rested he felt right now, the beauty of the morning, or if it was all that and a dozen more little things. Or maybe…maybe, it was just his love for Ivy and it was that which made him feel so relaxed, and the world seem so beautiful, and made him grateful for all the little things. He was not certain, but he was _sure_ that he had never felt this way before. And he never wanted to feel any different ever again.

The metal bird that he had seen just last night was pushed far into the back of his mind, and it slept there. Lucius did not know what that thing was or if it even happened, but he did not want it to trouble his thoughts anymore. It had already troubled his sleep enough. And now, he was going to get dressed and go to visit the Walkers', just like he promised Ivy he would.

XxX

"Mother," Lucius called into the kitchen as he stopped in front of the door. "I am going to the Walkers' now."

His mother came scurrying into the front room, wiping her hands on her apron. "Wait, Lucius, I wanted to talk to you."

He paused and watched her fidget, waiting for her to go on.

"Did you talk to Mr. Walker last night?" She asked finally, looking up to her son.

Lucius was slightly confused by the origin of the question but he nodded.

"All right," She sighed, "About what happened last night…"

He watched the way his mother exhibited symptoms of discomfort and took his hand from the door, his tone turning serious, "Is there something wrong?"

Alice shook her head and took a few steps closer to Lucius. "I just wanted to talk about, last night about what you-"

Just then there was a sharp knocking at the door and Lucius's eyes lingered on his mother before he turned and opened the front door. It was Edward Walker himself.

"Mr. Walker," Lucius opened the door wider to let him pass.

"Good Morning, Lucius," Edward smiled as he made his way into the house.

"And Mrs. Hunt." He nodded to Alice without looking at her.

"Good Morning, Edward." Lucius's mother spoke in her usual steady voice and Lucius noticed, knowingly, that her eyes avoided Mr. Walker as much as they could. He also noticed the large distance between them.

"I believe Ivy is waiting for you, Lucius." Mr. Walker smiled.

Lucius understood his polite subtlety and nodded before looking to his mother. "What you were saying before, that can wait?"

She nodded in reply and smiled tightly. "Go on."

"Good bye," He inclined his head and turned, walking out of the door, shutting it behind him and starting off towards the Walkers'.

XxX

"Lucius," Ivy bounded down the steps in cheerful exuberance.

"Good Morning," She smiled at him and took hold of his arm. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," He answered quietly.

"Let us go for a walk and we can talk."

And they did. They strolled around the grassy expanse of the village, talking. Well, really, Ivy was talking enthusiastically about many things, such as Kitty and how she was adjusting to married life and so on, and Lucius was merely listening.

"She asked me why we have not gotten married yet," Ivy started in amusement. "I told her that we had to wait until you were well enough to dance."

"I can dance," Lucius insisted.

"Well, I want to wait until you are fully recovered," Ivy replied with good-natured stubbornness.

He shook his head and sighed as a lull settled over them.

It was not long before Lucius broke the silence with something that had been on his mind all morning, although he tried to stop it.

"Ivy, from last night…do you remember anything…unusual?"

She looked slightly puzzled by the question but she answered anyway. "No…nothing unusual. Why? Did something happen?"

He paused, mulling it over. Did something happen? The night was now a blur in his mind. His dreams and the reality were impossible to distinguish from one another with any accuracy. He had been so sure, when it was happening, that it was real. He could remember the chill in the air and the way the whole world seemed to shiver, he remembered it all so vividly. But, it was not possible for it to be real. It could not have been…could it? If only he could experience it again. If only he could remember it more vividly.

"Lucius?" Ivy's voice broke through his reverie.

"I think I saw something…"

"What sort of something?" She asked quizzically.

"Last night, I could have sworn that I saw this…in the sky, after you had fallen asleep. It was like a metal bird…" Lucius felt silly just for speaking it aloud.

"A metal bird?" Ivy's puzzlement mounted with increasing intensity.

"A very large metal bird…it was so loud and so…big. It was flying overhead…I asked your father, but he said it must have been a dream." Lucius's rambling was close to being incoherent.

"Maybe it was a dream…do you think it was, really?" Ivy wasn't dismissing him like her father had done. She was taking it very seriously.

"It seemed so real. But, I cannot be certain."

"It does sound…unlikely, Lucius. Maybe you did dream it." Ivy suggested evenly.

He nodded with a sound of agreement. Little did he know that Ivy was not as certain as she sounded. After all the lies that had been told to them…who knows if her father would have lied to Lucius. Of course, to jump to that conclusion would be wrong too. Lucius did sound unsure and maybe he did dream it. Maybe they would never know. But a metal bird…it did not sound very probable to Ivy.

"Lucius, can we go back home? I am getting tired of walking." And she started back towards home, still holding Lucius arm tightly.

XxX

"There is an elder meeting tonight." Edward spoke after a long awkward moment.

"Why again? So soon?" Alice asked in earnest quizzicality.

"The plane." He lowered his voice as if someone might overhear him. "We have to discuss the possibility that it may happen again. We still do not know why it happened in the first place."

She nodded in agreement. "But Lucius said nothing to me about what he saw."

Edward sighed and turned to walk slowly around the room. "He does not know what he saw last night. He seemed so unsure…that I provoked the idea that he might have dreamed it."

"I nearly brought it up this morning." She admitted, glad that Edward had the right timing as to interrupt.

"Just keep in mind, then, that he does not know. If he asks you, though, I think it best to…pretend you do not know anything." He spoke with the calculation of a strategist.

She nodded in reluctant admission. "All right."

Edward sighed heavily once more. "I just hope this does not create anymore of a problem. It is getting harder and harder to hold together this village. It seems to me, as if it is collapsing from beneath our feet."

XxX

"Shall we have a footrace?" Ivy suggested joyfully when they were nearer her house.

"I do not-" Lucius started, but she had already turned and started running.

Usually, Lucius would not have followed. But, today…just felt different. He felt truly happy. The happiness was so, that it was pressing on his heart and making it hard to breathe. So, today, feeling very unlike his normal self, he smiled slightly and took off after Ivy.

He caught up with her after a moment and they raced to the door of the Walker's house, stumbling up the steps together. Ivy was the first to make it across the porch and fall in through the door.

"I won!" She breathed out, letting her cane clatter to the wooden floor.

Lucius leaned on the door frame, breathing hard and ignoring the pin-prick of pain in his chest. The doctor had said some pain would be normal and not to worry, so he didn't. Instead, he watched Ivy's smiling, flushed face, feeling the bubble of joy inside his chest grow a little bigger and push away the pain. Yes, he was still recovering, but he could have won. And he let Ivy win, but he didn't mention that to her, of course.

He moved away from the door and shook his head as Ivy started to dance around the sitting room, twirling between the chairs and singing.

"Ivy, watch yourself-" before the words even left his mouth, her foot caught on the leg of a chair and she stumbled, nearly falling to the floor, but Lucius caught her, albeit a bit clumsily.

She starting laughing and righted herself, brushing off imaginary dust. "Not a word, Lucius Hunt" She cautioned, through her laughter, as she saw his color flicker with amusement.

He bit his lips together and took Ivy's elbow. "Perhaps you should sit down…and stop dancing." He suggested, guiding her to the wooden settee.

She sat down, her back straight with mock-haughtiness as she ignored the smile in Lucius's voice.

He sat down next to her, his eyes wandering to the open window, where he saw Mr. Walker through the window to his house. His gaze was torn away, however, by Ivy.

"Lucius, Will you read to me?" He turned to see her hand grazing the lines of books on the bookshelf near her.

"Read to you?"

"Yes. I like the sound of your voice." She insisted.

He let out a breath, searching her face. "What do you want me to read?" He asked, finally, pushing himself up and walking to the shelves of books.

"Anything." Ivy said idly, before amending her word. "Poetry."

_Poetry. _Lucius's eyes scanned the shelves. It stopped at a book entitled, "The Courtship of Miles Standish, and Other Poems by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow."

It was really quite thick compared to others, and covered in a dust jacket, looking very straight forward. Longfellow was one of the poets Lucius had actually heard of and he reached out and pulled it off the shelf. It was heavier than he imagined it would be and he nearly dropped it with the unsuspecting weight as his wrist buckled. He grabbed it with both hands to keep it from falling to the floor and then sat back down on the settee next to Ivy.

"What book is it?" She asked.

"It is a surprise." He replied back innocently.

Lucius fingered the unusually straight and thin edges of the pages before flipping it randomly open to somewhere near the back.

What was on the page was shocking.

It was like nothing he had ever seen before. The pages were shiny and so thin he felt they might tear in his gentle hold. The text was riddled with photographs…color, real-life photographs of things he had never seen before. Buildings that were so high he couldn't understand why they did not tumble over or simply collapse and he found himself staring at the picture as if it might come to life and do just that. He also saw pictures of people, looking so different from himself…yet somehow so similar. His shock was being held back by his ignorance. He knew nothing of any of these things…he had no idea of what they were…what they meant.

He turned the page. More pictures, more perfectly spaced words. He started to flip with more force, still minding the pages. He stopped flipping when something beautifully extraordinary caught his eye.

It was the metal flying bird. He struggled to take it in. His thoughts were wild in his head, moving so fast he could not process one before another took its place.

"Lucius, what is wrong? ...your breathing has changed." Ivy sounded concerned to his ears.

"I…do not know." He whispered and his eyes started to search the text for an answer. He was almost expecting the words to be in different languages…to be as foreign as the pictures were to him. But they were in English. His eye jumped from word to word so fast, so eager to absorb what was being said, that he could not gather anything his eyes fell upon. He forced himself to slow half-way down the page, and then certain sentences and phrases started to jump out at him.

**_The airplane industry began as a mail carrying service…_**

…**_it's first flight in 1918 was a disaster…_**

…**_Founded in 1927…. the first transatlantic passenger flights…_**

…**_of the late 1920's…_**

…**_early 20th century, brothers Orville and Wilbur Wright…_**

…**_experimented with new engines powerful enough to keep 'heavier-than-air' craft aloft…_**

…**_On December 17, 1903…_**

_Was this some kind of Jest?_

Lucius could not even imagine what he was seeing. It was incredible. Between the texts were amazing pictures…unfathomable. One was of the metal bird as he had seen it last night, below it was written, "Modern Airplane of the 21st century." Then there was a picture above it, a picture of a primitive, wooden framed version of the bird, and then next to that…an even more primitive sketch of the same bird…or 'airplane', whatever it was.

"Lucius, what is it? Please."

"It is…this book," was all he voiced before he held his place in the book and turned it over. He carefully lifted the jacket away from the cover of the book and pulled it off completely.

The title was not anything like the dust-jacket suggested. It was called "American History, Reconstruction to the 21st century." And the whole of it was glossy and startlingly colored.

"What about the book?" Ivy asked, starting to get impatient with Lucius's weightless answers.

"It is not a book of poetry…" He trailed off, turning the book back to look at the page with the metal birds.

"What is it a book of then?"

"History" he answered doubtfully, flipping back to the cover.

"Oh. Well it must be one of my father's…simply pick another one…"

She didn't understand.

"No, Ivy, this book…there is a picture of the big metal birds in it."

"…The ones from your dream?" She asked after a slight hesitation.

"It was not a dream, Ivy, I know, now. It was _not_ a dream." He whispered quietly, the state of awareness washing over him.

"What does it say about the…birds?" She asked him curiously, scooting closer to Lucius.

"It says that they were invented in the early 1900's," He said this in such hushed tones that it might have been hard to hear.

"…and that they fly through the air….and carry passengers. And the one that looks most like the one in which I saw…was used in the 21st century."

There was a heavy pause. "They are called 'airplanes" He said finally, looking up into Ivy's confused face.

"This must be some kind of…farce. Someone must be jesting us." She said unevenly after a moment and Lucius started to flip further through the book. He saw titles like "1920's" "Stock market crash" "Great Depression" "1930's" "World War II" More pictures of…airplanes, diving through the air. It did not look like a joke to him.

"They speak of the 1900's as if they have already happened." He whispered, running his fingers gently over the written words.

"It must be a fiction, Lucius. That is all…" Her voice held emotion, but he could not discern whether it was fear, or pure dismission.

Her fingers felt the smoothness of the pages and Lucius set the book on her lap for further examination as he stood up and returned to the shelves of books. He quickly pulled another off the shelf and pulled off the dust jacket. It read: "Modern European Literature: a Collection." The jacket guised it as "English Synonyms classified and explained."

"All of these books are disguised."

He shook his head in wonder and wrapped the jacket back around the book, shoved it back where he found it and pulled another off the shelf. This one claimed to be "Frankenstein" but, it was really a book called "The Grapes of Wrath." He opened the first page and read "Copyright 1939."

"Ivy, this is-"

"Lucius, My father is coming!" Ivy said suddenly, cutting him off. He whipped his head around quickly and looked out the window. Mr. Walker was moving quickly towards the house.

A pang of panic struck at his heart and he wrapped the cover back around the book, pushing it back into its place.

Ivy handed him the book she held and Lucius put it away with haste.

"Lucius, do not tell him what we've found. We must keep it a secret." She pleaded, standing up and grabbing his arm.

"All right, quickly, let us go outside." He whispered and grabbed her cane as they made it to the door in time to open it and come face to face with Edward Walker.

"Hello." He greeted them jovially, "Where are you off to, then?" his eyes following them as they brushed past him.

"Just for a walk, Father." Ivy forced a smile.

"Do not be late for dinner." Mr. Walker called after them.

Ivy turned and watched as her father closed the door. He was a keeper of such secrets. She felt some kind of emptiness as if she did not know him near as well as she had thought before. Her father was keeping things from everyone. Things, she thought, which were now fighting, violently, to be released.

XxX

TBC

Until next time...


	6. Ease the burden

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 6

"An extensive knowledge is needful to thinking people- it takes away the heat and fever; and helps, by widening speculation, to ease the burden of mystery." John Keats

XxX

The sun was just below the horizon, leaving a faint glowing haze in the lower half of the visible sky. The moon hung, surrounded by a sheet of stars, but you could only make out a hint of them for the light that tainted the heavens. The wind was brisk and it blew through the trees and between the wooden houses with a dull chill. Its slight force pushed the murky clouds slowly through the air and in the far distance you could see the laundry hanging on the line, flapping playfully. The long grass was bent over lazily and the trees were dancing effortlessly to the indistinguishable music of the night.

It was just after dinner and Ivy and Lucius were sitting on the resting rock, resting, as the case may be, with the silence of the evening encompassing them both.

Finally, Lucius voiced what he had been brooding silently over all evening. "Ivy,...what do you think this all means?"

It was silent for a moment before she answered. "I do not know, Lucius..." The tone had suddenly turned very serious. The trees and the breeze seemed to have stilled, listening intently to their conversation.

She sighed and went on. "At first, I was not certain what to think...especially after you had seen the metal-, the air plan."

"Airplane," Lucius corrected the foreign word quietly.

"_Airplane_," Ivy whispered, as if to remember it and then went on. "When you saw the airplane it was...something unexplainable. But what you discovered in the books...makes it something more. Do you not think so?"

"I do think it is something more, Ivy...and I want to know what, exactly, it is." He answered after a moment to mull over his thoughts.

"So do I, Lucius. I want to reveal the secrets that my father is keeping. He _is_ keeping secrets. Can you not tell?"

"I have mentioned it before, Ivy, there are secrets in every corner of this village." His voice was hushed in truth.

"I know, Lucius. I feel them. They are everywhere." She whispered, her chest contracted in a vice of guilt. The secrets that Lucius spoke about were not only what the elders kept from the whole village, but what she kept from him as well. The creatures, or lack there of, and Noah's death.

She felt so terrible. She felt so much like she was betraying Lucius that she could not even breathe for several moments. She wanted to tell him so, but to admit that there were no creatures was to admit that she had killed Noah. And that was something she was not ready for...and would never be ready for.

But, he had to be told sometime...and she knew that. She took a deep, trembling breath, but before she could speak, Lucius did.

"Ivy, why would your father simply leave these books, if they are what we think they are, out where any prying eye might find them?"

She stopped for a moment to gather herself, "Well, quite plainly, I cannot read any of them, even if I found them. And Kitty, she is not one to read anything, Lucius. And mind, I am sure not all of them are...secret books."

"They are not," Lucius agreed. Only the ones with book covers on them were meant to be hidden. The naked books, which were most definitely the majority, were what they claimed to be.

"Furthermore, Lucius, where is a better place to hide something that you want no one to find than out in the open?"

He thought this over for a moment and then nodded. They were questioning what they had found already, because it was left out where someone could find. What a dangerous theory.

A long silence ensued before Ivy voiced what her mind was working to figure out.

"These books..." She paused briefly. "_What do they mean?_"

Lucius was silent after that for so long that Ivy was afraid he might not answer her at all, but then he broke the stillness.

"I am not sure. The books seem to...know the future."

"Maybe they are _from_ the future," Ivy suggested half-heartedly in an attempt to weight every option.

"Books from the future do not just fall from the sky." Lucius countered.

"No. It is not even possible for things to jump time." Ivy sighed and leaned back against the rock. All this thought was hurting her head. It seemed there was no answer.

"No." Lucius whispered finally. "The answer is always in the question, Ivy. Your father says that."

She nodded. "What _is_ the question, then?"

"How did a book from the future get into our village?" Lucius replied. The question sounded silly even to his own ears. It was impossible...it was _impossible_. Impossible.

"That is it!" Lucius exclaimed with enthusiasm after a moment of his brain trying to sift through his muddled thought.

"What?" Ivy asked eagerly, leaning closer to his color that now glowed brightly with realization.

"It is impossible." Lucius sounded as if what he said answered everything. Ivy, however, was still wildly confused, and this only provoked her confusion to kick up, like a cloud of dust and swarm around, enveloping her in it.

"What do you mean, Lucius? I do not understand you one bit." She asked with slight impatience at the way he left his thoughts unexplained.

"The answer is in the question. 'How did a book from the future get into our village?' the answer is not 'how did it get here', but, 'is it even possible?' And no, it is not."

Ivy let out an exasperated sigh and shook her head again. "Lucius, can you make yourself a little plainer?"

"The book did not come from the future." Lucius stated earnestly, as if he had known it all along.

"...You...you think it is fake?" Ivy asked in puzzlement.

Lucius let that possibility roll around his head. "No. It looked too real. And what would be the purpose of a fake book?"

Ivy shrugged. "What do you think, then?"

"I think that they are not from the future." he said simply.

Ivy _still_ did not understand. "If not from the future...they are from the present?"

"Yes. It is the only explanation."

"Lucius, this does not make any sense." She was nearly laughing now.

"It does, Ivy. 'How did we get a book from the future?' We did not. It is impossible. So it must be from the present."

"But...Lucius," Ivy's voice was growing louder with incredibility. "The book spoke of the 1900's the 21st century even! It is only 1897!"

"That is our new question then, Ivy. How did a book from the 21st century get into 1897? There is the answer inside that question. We just have to figure it out..." But not one more word was spoken by either of them, they did not even have time to ponder their new question, because, in that moment, a wild, ringing bell went off, scattering the birds from the trees and stilling the every sound of the night.

Before Ivy could even react, Lucius had grabbed her hand and was dragging her towards the heart of the village.

She was left breathing hard and trying to keep up with Lucius.

_Why was the bell going off? _

Why did it ever go off? She asked herself with a slightly disgusted sigh. Lucius, however, was a little shaken up about it.

"Ivy, we will go to my house. It is closer." He pulled her in the direction of his home, his hand tight around hers and casting his eyes around warily, taking in the disorder of the village.

She watched as his color flashed with his fear for her safety and guilt possessed her once again. This was absurd. Lucius was ridden with undue worry for her, and she was lying to him. Not lying outright, maybe, but certainly, she was not being entirely truthful. Well, that will change, she insisted to herself. She was going to tell Lucius, she nodded silently in certainty.

Lucius watched as the rest of the village scrambled around the town, getting to their homes and finding their family members, warning each other. The hysteria. He turned sharply and moved up the steps to his home, ignoring the others, focused solely on getting Ivy safe from the creatures, before doing anything else.

"Ivy," He guided her in the door quickly. "Go inside, get into the cellar. The family next door is having trouble with their window shutters again, but I will be right inside after you." His voice was insistent to Ivy's ears and she let out a sharp breath.

No matter how she knew of the creature's nonexistence, the chaos was sharpening her edges, instilling unjustified fear. But there were_ no_ creatures, she told herself, Lucius would be fine. So, she nodded and watched as his color got further away and then she turned and stumbled her way to the trap door before climbing down inside quickly and letting it fall back into its place in the floor.

She sat there in complete silence for what seemed like forever. Nearly at her patience's end, she stood up to go find Lucius, but was stilled by the sound of a door slamming and footsteps echoing on the floor above her.

Lucius was down inside the compartment with her, the door enclosing them both inside, before she even had time to stand up fully.

"Is everyone inside?" Ivy asked quietly, hearing how the outside had hushed, and taking her seat again.

"Yes," he whispered back, still catching his breath.

"Our parents are in the meeting hall, still, are they not?"

He nodded, "They are, do not worry about them."

Lucius sucked in a breath when Ivy pressed her face, cold from the evening air, into his warm neck, and mistaking her emotion for fear, he placed his arm around her shoulders, only to find them shaking with silent sobs.

"Ivy?" He questioned in gentle tones, pulling away from him slightly so he could see her face.

"Oh, Lucius," She shook her head and then opened her eyes to look at his sharp color. "There is something I must tell you."

He sat silently, listening, and waiting for her to speak further.

"When you first awoke, you wanted to know about the towns...and the creatures." She prompted his memory, stalling unconsciously.

"Yes."

"I think it is unfair for me to keep it from you. I keep secrets, Lucius. Just like all the elders. I am guilty of it too, because I should have told you long before." Her voice was weighed down with guilt, but she went on anyway.

"I only kept them, though, because I was afraid that you would think ill of me...I am still afraid of what you will think, but, keeping secrets from you is wrong, Lucius, I know. And I wish you would forgive me." A dry sob punctuated her sentence and Lucius reached out and grasped her hand tightly.

"I would never think ill of you, Ivy. Tell me."

She squeezed his hand back and took a deep, trembling breath.

"Lucius...there are no creatures." Ivy whispered it so that as she spoke, she wondered if Lucius would even hear her, for she wanted anything but to repeat it. As it were, he had. She could tell by the way his hand jerked slightly and his color pulsated. He did not speak. Instead, he took deep breaths and Ivy waited as she let it sink into his mind.

"I have seen them," was all he said.

Ivy shook her head and spoke the truth. "You have seen the elders, dressed as creatures, wearing creature suits."

"The elders?" Lucius's inquisitive voice filled the small space.

"Yes, they made up the creatures. To scare us away from the towns..."

"They did everything? The screams from the woods? The scares? ...They skinned the animals?" Lucius's voice rose a little in anger at finding this out. Just as Ivy had done.

"Not the animals. My father said he knew who was doing that, though. They did everything else, Lucius. It was all farce. After I told my father that I wanted to go to the towns, he told me. He showed me the suits. There is one in the 'shed that is not to be used.'"

"Why do they want to scare us away from the towns so much?"

"Because, Lucius, my father said that horrible things happen in the towns. There is _sorrow_ in the towns." Ivy whispered back, trying to convince herself as well as Lucius. But, she knew, there was sorrow here as well. She had felt it so profoundly when Lucius was unconscious for those long, long days.

"What happened to you in the towns? Was it horrible? ...How did you get there?" Lucius was bursting with questions now, it seemed. More swarmed in his mind but he quieted himself, realizing there were too many questions to voice all at once.

"I could not tell much, Lucius, but the man I talked to...he had kindness in his voice. It was not as wicked a place as I was expecting. He fetched me your medicines. And as to how I got there, my father told me how. I followed his directions." Ivy had to admit that getting this out in the open felt much better than keeping it hidden, keeping it secret.

To Lucius, the information was still sinking in. "I suppose it is not that much of a surprise." He said finally. It was of course, surprising to find out what you had believed your whole life was a lie. But, he had always suspected something more from the creatures...and he knew that the elders were hiding things.

"Everything that the creatures have done, have been the elders." Lucius stated it as a fact and not a question. But, then something struck his mind.

"What about...Noah was killed by the creatures..." He looked at Ivy closely, trying to comprehend. "And...you had killed a creature in the woods...how can those be so...if there _are_ no creatures?" It was only a split second before it came together in his mind and he inhaled sharply in realization. Ivy let out a strangled sound, pulled her unworthy hand from Lucius's grasp and turned her face away, ashamed.

He did not know what to say. He could not even move. It was so clear now, why Ivy had acted the way she had at Noah's funeral. It was all coming together. Like the pieces of a puzzle dropping steadily into place, identifying more of the big picture with each and every little, tiny section.

"Ivy," His voice was gentle and filled with emotion, such that it made Ivy turn to him. She looked straight into his eyes as if she could see them, with tears streaming, unchecked, down her face. He reached out, wiping away her tears, and stroking her cheek before pulling her into a warm embrace.

Then Ivy started to sob uncontrollably, her words barely distinguishable. "I am so, so sorry, I did not know it was him, Lucius! I promise. He was in the creature suit, and I could not smell him through it!...I did not know, _I did not know_." She was shaking irrepressibly.

"Hush," he whispered into her hair. "I know, Ivy. It is not your fault...Hush."

And she did, with some difficulty. The tears still made rivers down her cheeks and the pain in her heart did not give way. But, now, it was rivaled by the feeling of love in her heart. Lucius's attitude towards her had not changed in the slightest and she was overwhelmed by such strong relief, that she felt as if she might faint. Then, guilt overtook her again.

"But...I-I killed him, Lucius. I-" Her voice was high-pitched in distress and she cut herself off as her voice shattered.

"You did not do it on purpose," He tried desperately to sooth her.

"I know that. But it was still I who did it." Her voice shook with repressed emotion and she asked, without warning, something that had been on her mind for quite some time.

"Lucius, are you angry at Noah for what he did to you?"

He did not even think about it. "No."

"Why not?"

"Because, Ivy, he did not really mean to harm me. He loved you...and he did not understand that there is more than one kind of love. It is no one's fault." His voice was so firm that it was hard for her not to believe him.

"But I cannot get past my...anger towards him, Lucius. I am so angry for what he did to you," she took in a breath and whispered, "He could have killed you."

"...And the guilt and sorrow I feel for what I have done to him, and the anger I feel for what he did to you. They are tearing me apart." She started to cry again and Lucius did not know what to say. If anything would make her feel better, he could not think of it. But, he wished for all the world that he could stop her suffering. So, he hugged her tighter to him and whispered, "Do not cry."

His words incited Ivy to look up at Lucius, her face still wet with crying. "I am sorry, Lucius, It does feel better that you know now. But I apologize for not telling you before...It was just so hard." She pleaded with him to forgive her.

He said nothing, instead he leaned down and kissed her sweetly before pulling back to just a few inches from her face.

"I forgive you for not telling me, Ivy. I understand. But, I do have one more question." He whispered this to her, his breath fanning her face.

Apprehension filled her. He was going to ask her something unanswerable. Something that tore at her heart, she knew. And as much as she wanted to quiet him, so that she did not have to answer another thing about what had happened, she knew that she owed it to him. "What is the question?" She asked evenly, reading herself for whatever he might say.

But, before he answered, he pressed his lips to her cheek gently, kissing away her tears, and leaned in so his lips were barely touching her ear. Then, he whispered so quietly that she had to strain to hear his words. "What is my color, Ivy?"

XxX

TBC

Until next time!


	7. Fools or slaves

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 7

"To prohibit the reading of certain books is to declare the inhabitants to be either fools or slaves." Claude Adrien Helvetius

XxX

The warning bells rung in the distance, the trills echoing off every surface of the village. They rang out into the deafening silence, inciting fear, chaos, and hysteria to everyone that harkened them. They screamed out into the night, a warning of such profound measure that it provoked the people of the village to run like prey. The citizens of the village were taught to react this way to such an innocent thing as the toll of a bell. A Pavlov's dog, if you will. Remarkably, abetting such things from the moldable, corruptible minds of humans is simple. The instinct of fear is triggered so easily and the catalyst of that moving feeling can be trained. One, most definitely, can be made to fear something that is in no way threatening. They can be forced into fearing by instruction…it can be implanted into their mind by others.

Fear is our protector. It guards us from what threatens us, or what we believe will threaten us. Pushing us away from what may potentially cause us harm, or what has caused us harm in the past. Because what has caused pain and suffering to us previously, we will avoid at all costs. And facing our fears could very well be the most painful thing one must endure.

Everyone in the village who was running, who was overcome by panic, who was worrying for themselves and their family were running from their fears, as most sane people would. But, they never stopped to think about what they were running from. They never took the time to understand their enemy…or what they thought was their enemy. They just run, blindly, from what they have been told was a threat. And those who told them, those who had, in the first place instructed this fear. And buried it, like a seed, into the influential minds of those who are capable of fear. Those whose panic may be turned on with the flick of a switch, or the ringing of a bell. The people who had created, procured, and maintained this unceasing fear of the adversary, they sat and listened to the bells. The bells that stirred, in them, an emotion different from trepidation, an emotion closer to that of gratification. And they sat and they listened.

And at last, the bells' voice died on the cold night air. The last echoes of its straining uproar reverberated, trembling, suspended in the very breeze.

The only thing to be heard now, was the scramble of people, the panic induced shouting and hiding of the villagers. And then all was silent.

Alice Hunt was the first to break the soundlessness in the meeting hall, "I believe everyone is in their homes." She said it needlessly, but anything to stop the ringing silence.

Edward Walker, the chair of this meeting, nodded. They had sent one of the elders, dressed as a creature, to alert the watchtower attendant. And, oh, how it worked.

The village was off edge, they needed to be reminded again of the antagonists that lurked in the woods. This would put the creatures back in their thoughts for certain, the elders had agreed upon it.

The plane, however, was another matter. It was still unknown as to why it had flown over the village. It should not have happened. A plane had never flown over the village in all the years that it had existed. And Edward was counting on the fact that it never happen again.

They had to believe that it would never happen again while planning what to do if it ever did. They would do everything in their power to keep this village innocent. Whatever it took.

XxX

Ivy, who had been waiting for a horrible, uncomfortable question from Lucius, was surprised into stillness by his words.

"_What is my color, Ivy?"_

She did not move for a moment and then an easy smile spread over her face as relief flooded her. Lucius never failed to cheer her up.

Ivy leaned closer to Lucius, pressing her cheek against his so that her lips were by his waiting ear.

"I shan't tell you, Lucius." She whispered with humor evident in her voice. "It would not be proper to speak of such things. Not until our wedding, at least."

Ivy heard, through Lucius's breathing, the slight smile that grazed his face whenever their wedding was mentioned, and it made her feel almost like things were normal again. And it felt so good.

Just as she pressed a kiss to Lucius's cheek, the front door creaked open, hard heels clicked on the wooden floor above their heads, and a voice called out, "Lucius?"

It was Mrs. Hunt.

Lucius pulled away from Ivy abruptly and she giggled quietly as he stood and pushed open the trap door, replying. "Here, mother."

He turned back to grab Ivy's hand and led her up the steps where Lucius's mother informed them that it was safe to go out again. Alice was still under the impression that Lucius knew nothing of the creatures' inexistence, and he said nothing to make her think any different.

Mrs. Hunt, then, went off to bed and Lucius walked Ivy home. He left her at her porch, with the promise of seeing her tomorrow being the only thing that made his heart not ache with the strong sorrow of separation from his love.

XxX

The sky was a morning grey and the air was cold in a careless sort of way.

It was early the next morning and Ivy was perched on the settee in the sitting room, waiting for Lucius. It would most likely be another thirty minutes at least until he would arrive, but Ivy had trouble sleeping last night and had been lying in bed, awake for an hour before deciding to get up just fifteen minutes ago.

In the still silence of the break of day Ivy's idle mind started to wander. Her unseeing eyes drifted to the book shelf as her thoughts overtook her.

The books that her father was hiding. They had to mean something, or else they would not be hidden. Why they were being hidden, however, was a question that needed answering. And Ivy was now committed to finding it. Her and Lucius together were going to figure out what the elders were still hiding, by whatever means necessary.

Ivy sighed and sat back against the settee. She felt so much better after telling Lucius about the creatures. It was like a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She no longer felt the guilt that plagued her about keeping secrets from Lucius, she still, however, regretted not telling him sooner. And Lucius was so understanding about it all, and that made her feel all the worse. He was-

"Ivy?" Mr. Walker broke Ivy from her reverie and she started at his voice.

"Whatever are you doing out here all alone?" He asked his daughter is surprise.

She trained her eyes on her father's color and after a moment, spoke, "I could not sleep. I just came in here to think." She looked on for a long moment, seeing her father in a different way after they had found out he was hiding things still.

"Ah, I often do my best thinking in the early morning." He smiled and sat down next to her just as Mrs. Walker came down the hall humming a soft tune.

"Good morning, Ivy" She said cheerily and moved to her husband's side.

"Morning, Mother" Ivy replied after a moment's hesitation. Her mother was oddly in a very pleasant mood.

Tabitha Walker leaned in and kissed her husband on the cheek before moving to the other side of the room to stroke the dying fire.

Mr. Walker watched her briefly before turning back to his daughter.

"Are you anticipating your wedding, Ivy? It is only drawing ever closer." He put his hand on her knee and she could hear the true joy in his voice. It made her feel guilty for resenting his secrets and she smiled easily back.

"I am very excited, Papa. I cannot wait to be wed." She sighed happily.

"Oh, marriage is such a beautiful thing." He reflected, his voice sounding far away and wistful to Ivy's ears.

It provoked her mind to wander to other matters, such as the relationship between her mother and father, but he tore her from those thoughts as well.

"You and Lucius will be very happy," he tucked his daughter's hair behind her ear and looked at her lovingly.

Ivy smiled and nodded, though she heard a bit of sadness…or something that she could not quite place, in her father's tone.

She took a deep breath and, with a final decision on something she had been thinking on for a while, she turned to the shelf at her left and reached out. She remembered distinctly where she had heard Lucius place the book back upon the shelf and her hand found the title with little trouble.

"Papa, will you read to me?...only until Lucius arrives?" Her tone was very innocent and she pulled the book from the shelf before her father could react in any manner.

But when she held it out for him he hesitated and she could swear she heard him thinking rapidly, as if not knowing what to do or say.

The silence stretched and she heard her mother turn to watch the scene unfolding.

Her father, then chuckled a little uncomfortably. "Of course I will read to you, Ivy," he relieved her of the book's inconsolable weight. "But, not this book, Dear. There is nothing of great interest in here." It was then that he moved to put it away and Ivy gently took hold of her father's wrist.

"But, Papa, I want you to read this one," Her fingers, she ran across the stamped lettering of the dust jacket. "I so adore Longfellow."

Mr. Walker moved the book from her reach and hastened to put it back on the shelf.

"There are none of his best works in there, Ivy. Here, I will read to you a poem I am very fond of," He riffled for a few short moments, and Ivy simply sat there. The way he reacted. He was hiding something of such magnitude…she knew now for certain. He did not want her to know what was in that book. It was a pity she already did.

Now, the childish resentment at her father for hiding and going to such lengths to shield her, bubbled to the surface.

"Here, Ivy. This is a good one. It is authored by Thomas Kimble Hervey and entitled 'Love'," He cleared his throat, and to Ivy's complete disinterest, started to read the poem aloud.

"_There are who say the Lover's heart_

_Is in the loved one's merged ;_

_O, never by love's own warm art_

_So cold a plea was urged!_

_No!-hearts that loved hath crowned or crossed_

_Love fondly knits together ;_

_But not a thought or hue is lost_

_That made a part of either…_"

Her ears no longer listened, her mind trained only on the thought of what had transpired just a few moments ago. However, the sharp knock on the door made every noise in the room stop and Ivy turned to the offending door.

"Do come in," Mrs. Walker finally called after a short pause.

The door opened and Lucius peeked coyly inside.

"Good morning, Mr. Walker. Mrs. Walker," he inclined his head to each in turn, his greeting quiet, but said with polite respect. "Ivy," He nodded to her as well and her face broke into an involuntary beam in his presence.

"My Boy, do come in," Edward beckoned to Lucius with a joyful smile.

Before Lucius had the time to answer, Ivy sprung up. "No, Papa, Lucius and I are going for a walk…" She gathered her cane and hastened from the room, calling over her shoulder, "Good Bye!"

Her father, a smile still on his face, bid them farewell as they closed the door behind them.

Ivy took hold of Lucius's arm and led him away from the house so that she could inform him, without fear of being overheard, of what had happened with her father.

XxX

After the door closed and Ivy and Lucius were out of earshot, Mrs. Walker turned deliberately to her husband.

"Why," She spoke with a low suspicious tone, "did you react so to Ivy's interest in your books?"

Mr. Walker sat there, staring at his wife, searching for words to explain. He didn't need to, for she went right over to the shelf herself and plucked the infringing book from the rows of literature. She ripped the cover off with anger and saw beneath it just what she was expecting. A modern book. Disguised.

Her eyes moved from the book to her husband's guilty face. "You," She could not go on for the rage she felt. "You! You…brought books from the 21st century! It was strictly forbidden, and you brought them into our village!" Her voice rose to an even higher pitch with her indignancy.

Mr. Walker raised his hands in quiet surrender and spoke quietly, trying to soothe his ruffled wife. "I know, I know, we were not supposed to bring books, but-"

"No! No 'buts'" She dropped the heavy book to the floor. "We took an oath! You are endangering everything we have made! What if someone had found these!" Her fervor echoed off the small cabin's walls and before Edward could say anything in his defense, she moved to the shelves and started pulling books from them, ripping off the dust covers and throwing them to the floor.

"These are not allowed! Someone could have found them! How can you be so careless with our hard work? With all we have promised!" With that, she grabbed the books from the floor, piled in her arms and moved to the now roaring fire that she had just restocked.

"These will not jeopardize our village any longer!" And she threw them, one by one, into the fire.

Mr. Walker watched in surprise as the first couple of books were consumed by the fire. The flames danced over the burning pages and the paper curled before blackening and disintegrating into nothing.

"Tabitha, I know we were not supposed to bring books with us, but, I needed them. To remind me of what we came from. I needed them when we first arrived, and I would not have survived without them. It was so hard to be here, to abandon everything. The books were my salvation." He squatted down beside his wife trying to get her to understand.

"And I was careless, I know. But…it is of no consequence…no one has found them. And I am ready to get rid of them now. They are no longer needed." His voice was quiet, forcing her into listening.

She stopped moving and when she turned to her husband there were unwashed tears shining in her eyes.

"I know you meant no harm. I know it," She sat back on her heels, defeated, and tears started to make their way down her face. "I am just so troubled. I want so much for our village to stay as it is. Innocent. I want nothing to ruin our chances of keeping this village surviving as it is. We cannot be careless any longer. It is up to us to keep what we have built working and not to let it fail." There she buried her face in her trembling hands.

"Oh, I know. I know. We can burn the rest of the books. It is time to be more active in the conservation of our village. We will. We will do it. Do not fret, My Wife." Edward kneeled down before his wife and embraced her tightly, comforting her tears away.

Mrs. Walker curbed her tears and nodded into her husband's shoulder. "You are right. I am sorry, I overreacted. I am just _so_ troubled."

Mr. Walker shook his head and hushed her. "I promise not to be so careless in the future."

She looked up at him with tears drying on her cheeks and he leaned down, kissing her carefully as their lips touched.

After he pulled away, he picked up a book from the stack at his right and threw it into the hungry fire. They both watched as the book turned black with burning and they watched as the resounding link to what they once were, the very breath of the modern world that they had left behind, burned up, the fire devouring every last page of their past.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…


	8. Truth beauty

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 8

"Beauty is truth, truth beauty, - that is all Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know" Anonymous

XxX

It was a cold and windy morning, like so many others before it. The fog lay in a sheet a few feet above the damp grass and the sky was colorless. The treetops of the forest fell on the horizon line in sharp relief against the cloudy gloom. The barrage of chilly air pounded the steadfast trees and the leaves rustled against each other as the boughs of the trees bent to the wind's will. The air was thick with moisture and the fresh smell of early morning was carried by the heavy breeze. It was inevitable. The dampness condensed and then started to fall from the sky in tiny droplets. The drops were pushed by the wind, whipping them into sharp icy pricks of water, pelting the entire village.

Ivy had led Lucius to near the middle of the village when it had started to rain. They both gasped as the first sheet of icy water hit them and they stopped dead in their steps. Ivy started to laugh as she slowly got soaked by the rain and Lucius grabbed her hand, slick with water, and shouted over the wind.

"Let us go back to your house."

Ivy's smile fell from her face as she shook her head. "No, Lucius, I need to talk to you away from there!"

He sighed and looked around quickly, his clothes already saturated with rain water. "Fine, to my house," he started to lead Ivy towards his house, walking quickly.

"No, Lucius," Ivy dug her heels into the flooded grass. "Your mother is there. We must go where no one can overhear."

Lucius sighed and cast his eyes around the village, trying to see through the rain to find somewhere to go as water ran into his eyes. Then his gaze stopped.

"The meeting house!" He called to Ivy. She turned to where she knew the building stood and nodded, then, hand in hand, Lucius and Ivy ran towards the meeting house.

The drops pounded the thin layer of water on the ground and their feet kicked up the puddles, splashing their shoes and legs with the cold water. Finally, Lucius guided Ivy up the steps and they stumbled into the large room, closing the door behind them forcefully against the invasion of the wind.

They then stood, panting and dripping all over the wooden floor. Their clothes were soaked and uncomfortable against their skin. Lucius's hair was plastered against his head and Ivy's hung in pieces around her face. Water dripped from their bodies and clothes, rolling off them and pooling around their soggy shoes. The water started to evaporate from them in the cold draught blowing in from the open window and it made them both shiver violently.

Lucius moved first. Still breathing heavily, he went over to the open window and pulled the shutters closed, snapping the locks shut. It brought instant relief from the wind, but it did not help the cold caused by the unfortunately wet state of them both.

"Oh, Lucius, It is freezing." Ivy whispered, wrapping her drenched arms around herself and trembling.

Lucius searched the room for something to aid their condition and his gaze settled on the line of wooden chests below the windows. He moved over to them and pulled the first one open. It was filled with table linens that were used on the long diner tables. Not the most appropriate, but they would do. He pulled a few out, taking one and bringing it over to Ivy, wrapping it tightly around her shoulders.

They removed their sodden shoes and Lucius peeled off his soaking coat, and then they sat together, wrapped up in the table linens, on the chairs that were stacked in the corner of the empty room.

It was silent for a long while, nothing but the sound of the rain angry on the roof, as Lucius waited for Ivy to speak.

Instead she startled him with her frozen hand on his face. She ran her fingers over his damp features and pushed his sopping hair off of his forehead. He sat still for a moment and then pulled the cloth tighter around him and removed Ivy's hand from his water-logged hair. He took both her hands in his own and rubbed them together, bringing them up to his lips and warming them with his breath. Then he whispered into the room.

"What is it you wish to tell me?"

Ivy let out a small sigh before, in great detail, relaying the story of what happened between her and her father. When at last she ran out of words, she looked on at Lucius's blazing color, waiting patiently for him to process what she had said.

"Your father would not even let you hold the book?" He asked finally.

Ivy nodded. "He took it away from me nearly as soon as I took it from the shelf."

Lucius rolled this information over in his head. "And you said he acted oddly when he saw which book it was?"

She nodded yet again. "His breathing changed. He started acting awkward…uncomfortable. It was so plain that he was hiding something."

Lucius was silent for a long moment. "What did he do once he took the book away?"

"He tried to distract me with a different book. One that was not disguised."

Lucius again was silent for a stretch and all that could be heard was the rain outside.

"Ivy, I think we need to go look at the books again." His voice was hushed and she immediately nodded in agreement at his words.

"Let us wait until the storm passes." Ivy suggested as she leaned into Lucius's side and closed her eyes in the tranquility of the rainy morning.

XxX

Mr. and Mrs. Walker were startled from their continued quiet conversation by a loud rap on their door.

Edward stood from his seat on the settee and moved to the door, pulling it open. Before him stood a young man of the village looking quite stricken. Matthew Adams.

"What is it, Matthew?" Mr. Walker asked him with a kind, but apprehensive voice.

The young man took the hat off of his head and looked up at Edward. His words were stilted and troubled, "My…youngest sister, Marybeth, has…fallen ill, Sir." There was a pause. "Just as young Daniel Nicholson had." This addition revealed the seriousness of the situation. Daniel Nicholson had fallen ill and, after a short struggle, had perished.

"Has the doctor seen her?" Edward asked, his tone turning grave in a heartbeat.

"Yes, Sir. He is with her as we speak. He told me to inform you." The young man nodded and took a step back for Mr. Walker to have room to step outside. It was an unconscious prompt to follow him and Edward needed no further provoking. He looked back to his wife. Her face was tight with worry and her lips were pressed tightly together. She quickly moved to Edward's side and they, together, took haste in following the young man across the flooded grounds to the Adams' house.

XxX

Lucius was staring unseeingly out the window when movement caught his eye and brought him from his state of daze.

He was still sitting, wrapped up in the table linens with Ivy pressed firmly to his side. She was dozing, the sound of the soft rain lulling her.

The storm had lost its ire and was now mellow and calm. The pouring rain had receded into a drizzle and the wind had died down considerably. All that Lucius could hear, save for Ivy's breathing, was the patter of the rain overhead. It had soothed even him into a state of drowsiness. But, now he was alert as he saw the movement of figures outside through the front window.

Lucius squinted his eyes slightly, trying to discern the shapes through the rain and gloom. They had come from the direction of the Walkers' house and he decided that one was Mr. Walker and the other was Mrs. Walker. The third person's identity was now unimportant to Lucius. An idea had wormed its way into his mind.

"Ivy," Lucius whispered loudly, shaking her shoulder gently.

She stirred from her sleep and took a moment to blink away her sleepiness before turning her eyes to Lucius's color. Her face was beautiful in a slumbering sort of innocence and Lucius was unaware of his hand as it brushed Ivy's still-damp hair back from her face and the back of his fingers brushed her porcelain cheek. This woke Ivy further and she placed her hand atop Lucius's murmuring, "Mmmm."

"Ivy," He mumbled after the slightest pause of staring into her piercing eyes. "I have just seen your parents leave your house…and before they return I wanted to take another look at the books."

Ivy nodded in agreement, still not fully awake, and moved to stand. She stretched out the creaks in her body created by an uncomfortable position of sleep and let the wrinkled linens fall the floor. Gathering them from the floor, she took Lucius's from him as well and replaced them where they had found them.

It was only moments until Ivy and Lucius were down the meeting house steps and quickly walking across the village to the Walkers', trying to evade the slight rain. When they made it to the front door, they entered the house swiftly to get out of the wet, and Lucius took one last look over to his shoulder to make certain Mr. And Mrs. Walker were not returning. There was no one outside, so he shut the door firmly.

They both stood in the front room for a moment to catch their breath and then Lucius moved past Ivy towards the bookcase. His first glimpse showed him something completely unacceptable. The bookcase had lost several books. There were spaces where books would fit perfectly, and although the shelves were still quite full, they looked empty to Lucius.

"Ivy," Lucius's tone was not normal and she picked it up immediately.

"What is it, Lucius?" Her voice betrayed her concern and she took a few cautious steps to meet him in the middle of the room.

"The books, Ivy…they…they are gone."

It was silent for beat.

"Gone?" She repeated. "The shelves are…empty?"

Lucius shook his head slowly. "Not entirely. Only the disguised books."

Ivy turned her blind gaze from Lucius's blinding color to the shelves. She took a couple of sure steps forward and stopped in front of the books. Running her hand down the books she reached a space where it was empty and sucked in a breath. Her hands roamed over the entire bookcase, feeling every space. It used to be full to bursting; it used to feel that if you took a book off the shelf they all may tumble down with it.

"Do…Do you think that my father…knows we saw them?" Her voice was hushed in distress.

Lucius did not know, and he admitted it to Ivy. She let out a sigh and Lucius looked to the other side of the room, slowly immersing himself in his conflicting thoughts.

_Could Mr. Walker have known? It is possible. Probable, no. But possible, yes. He had been careful to return everything to its place, he knew he had. Maybe someone had seen them? Again, not probable. If, however, someone had…would Mr. Walker have hidden them further? Most definitely. If so…where? And was it completely improper to look for them? Probably._

Lucius's internal dialogue went on before he began to confuse himself with thoughts. He just didn't know what to think anymore. He tried to clear his mind and looked around the room lazily.

It was then that he caught sight of the blackened fireplace. He thought nothing of it until, minutes later, when it came fully to his attention. He then also noticed the smell of a peculiar smoke lacing the room.

He stared before slowly moving to the fireplace and kneeling before it, his eyes still searching the dark interior.

"Lucius?" Ivy's voice penetrated his mind and he turned back to watch her come kneel beside him. "What is it?"

He did not reply because it was then that something light in the black pool of ashes distracted him. He reached into the fireplace and took hold of the off-colored item. He shook it free of straying ashes and brought it slowly closer to his face, trying to figure out what it was he was examining.

It was an off-white grey color and, after brushing off the soot, one could see black ink stamped in letters. The small piece of paper was glossy and smooth between Lucius rough fingers. It was a piece of a page from one of the books.

Lucius looked back into the immense mound of cinders. It was clear that very much had been consumed by the now dead fire.

"Burned." He whispered, almost to himself.

"What?" Ivy asked, placing a hand on Lucius's arm.

"They were burned, the books. In the fireplace." He raised the tone of his voice only slightly and it took Ivy a moment to process what he had said.

"Burned?" She reached out blindly towards the fireplace, searching for some kind of proof, or evidence. Lucius took a small handful of ashes and pressed them into Ivy's hand, smearing them, staining her hand black with the only remnants of the mysterious books.

"Oh, Lucius. They are gone." Her voice held unexplainable sadness. She had grown deeply fond of the books. The knowledge they possessed, although she knew not what knowledge they truly held, captivated her. She had foolishly assumed they would always be there to think over at their leisure, but now they were all gone. All of them. She closed her eyes in despair at the mere thought of the information that they had lost. The answer to all the secrets lie in those books, she knew, and now they were lost. They had served no other purpose than to fuel a brief, fleeting fire. The answers to all her and Lucius's questions had, most literally, gone up in flame.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…


	9. A good thing

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 9

"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things, and no good thing ever dies." The Shawshank Redemption

XxX

It was late morning, nearly midday, though the sky's lack of sun made it hard to decipher the time of day with any degree of accuracy. The clouds spread themselves over the blue sky, creating a seamless shield, making it look as if it were not clouds, but the sky had simply surrendered all of its astonishing hue. The rain had stopped falling, but had left moist evidence of its unwelcome visit in every crevice. There lay a sheet of water over the grass, puddles forming in the lower sections of land. The whole world, it seemed, was wet. The precipitation had left no surface untouched by its damp hand. It had left an icy chill in the air and a breeze that swept through the village unrelentingly. Water droplets dripped from the trees, the roof eves, and even some bed linens that had been left out to dry at a most inopportune time. Now they flapped in the breeze with dank turmoil. The smell on the air was clean and fresh, as if the rain had washed the entire village taintless. But, under the surface, the village was as sordid as ever.

After the Walkers had been beckoned to the Adams' house, the rest of the elders had been called upon as well. And as the doctor was working on young Marybeth, the elders sat clustered against the perimeter of the room. Silent.

It was some time until the doctor finished with the young girl and turned to the elders.

They watched him apprehensively. Most of all Mr. Adams, Mrs. Adams, and Matthew Adams, who were sitting together near the bed, all looking pale and overwhelmed by sorrow.

"For the moment, she is stable," the doctor started after a deep breath. "Normally, under these conditions…her health would fail-" He was interrupted then by a sob from Mrs. Adams. "-But, the medicine, left over from Lucius Hunt's injury, and contributed by Alice Hunt-" the doctor nodded in Alice's direction. She had been in possession of the medicine to administer to Lucius as he recovered and when the doctor had called upon her she had hastened to retrieve it and delivered it through the torrential downpour. "-has saved her for right now. It is all I could do and all we can do now is wait and pray." Here he took another deep breath and looked at the floorboards for some time, as if not knowing how to say what he wished to, before looking back up to the elders. "There…is no medicine left."

The elders exchanged gazes silently. It was the sick season, and if other children became ill, there would be no medicine to save them.

The room held a heavy, profound silence that no one dared break for some time. When it became nearly intolerable, Mr. Adams thanked the doctor profusely for coming and Alice for bring the medicaments. The doctor then took the queue and packed his instruments, soon taking leave, as did the rest of the elders. They had nothing else they could offer, so they gave their blessings and support, offering to stay, but the Adams' told them to go home, that there was nothing they could do. The doctor insisted to be notified if anything changed and promised that he would come check on the young girl in intervals. Then they left the Adams alone and instead, stood outside in the cold air. The first to speak was Mrs. Walker.

"What will we do?"

Edward sighed and turned away from the group for a moment before turning back. "We either live on as we had before this medicine was obtained, or…or we obtain more medicine."

Mrs. Walker grabbed Mr. Walker's arm. "You cannot be serious." She whispered.

Mrs. Clack then took a step closer to the Walkers, who were standing the middle of the group. "You mean to say that you…would send Ivy back to get more medicine?"

Edward looked for a second before he spoke. "I do not know what I say. I care only for the good of this village. Is it fair to provide medicine for Lucius and Marybeth, but for no others of the village who fall ill?"

There was a pause.

Edward went on, not wanting to start the wild argument he knew would follow if he did not intervene, "I do not know. This does not need to be decided now. It cannot be. We will all need to think on it. It can wait, whatever we decide."

XxX

Lucius and Ivy were still kneeling in the front of the fireplace, lost in their own thoughts when Ivy finally spoke aloud.

"Lucius, what will we do now?"

Lucius was silent for he did not know how to reply. But the forlorn edge that sharpened her voice prompted him to say something.

"I do not know."

Ivy let out a distressed sigh. "We have no…evidence. No proof."

Lucius shifted to sit cross-legged and looked down deliberately at his laced hands. "Did your father know we have seen the books? Maybe you…warned him…of the dangers of keeping the books." Lucius suggested thoughtfully.

"Do you think I…ruined it for us?" The small tone of Ivy's voice forced Lucius to look up at her and in the time it took for him to think of the right words to say, he took her hand in his own, in his accepted outward sign of reassurance.

"You did not ruin anything. You did nothing wrong…At least now we know that they were not farce. They must have been important enough to burn."

Ivy let out the breath she was holding slowly and nodded somewhat reluctantly. "I suppose." She took a moment to think. "Why do we not just go to my father now? Ask him about the books, tell him we know…"

Lucius thought about this for a moment and then shook his head. "He might deny it. If we still had the books, perhaps we could bring them…the elders could not lie then. But, now…I think we must find some other way to approach this. Some different kind of evidence."

There was another resounding silence and then Ivy sucked in a deep breath and let it out leisurely. "You are right. We will just need to find more evidence…"

Lucius looked at Ivy, regarding her, "More evidence…" he repeated, thinking how terribly difficult…maybe near impossible that task would be. This may have been their only chance at finding the truth. And it was gone, and they may never really know the secret of the village.

XxX

It was quite later in the day when Edward Walker knocked hesitantly on the Hunts' door. He shortly considered leaving with haste before the door was answered, but before he could seriously consider it, the door opened in front of him.

"Oh, Edward…" Alice's voice was lightened with surprise as she looked on at her unexpected visitor.

Edward, for a moment, forgot what he had come here to say and Alice stood in silence, waiting. When he said nothing she opened the door wider for his entrance. "Come in please, will you not?"

Edward smiled and nodded, stepping inside as she shut the door behind them and turned to face him.

The soundlessness was overbearing and Edward cleared his throat loudly.

"Young Marybeth has awoken." He announced as it came to his mind to reveal the reason to his visit.

Alice let out the breath she was holding and smiled easily. "Oh, that is excellent news! What does the doctor say?"

"He says that she is still very ill, but the…odds are considerably better." Edward smiled ruefully.

"That is good. That is very good." Alice nodded, The silence then becoming awkward. She looked down at her clenched hands and then back up at Edward.

Mr. Walker shifted his feet nervously, thinking rapidly. "Uh, How is Lucius? I saw the boy early this morning but Ivy led him away before I could even say 'Hello'" Edward smiled at this and so did Alice.

"He is well. He is very excited about the wedding." Mrs. Hunt shook her head happily, leaning into the comfort of the conversation.

"Yes, so is Ivy," Edward sighed, the memory of when he was young and in love, and he knew what he wanted from life, making his heart ache for more simple times.

Alice smiled at the look on Edward's face, feeling the same as he. "My only son is going to get married and soon have children of his own." She sighed again. "I feel old."

Edward chuckled. "I as well."

"Grown children will make one feel that way." He reflected then after a moment's pause.

Alice nodded. Thinking for the first time what it would be like then when Lucius wed and moved, with Ivy, into the new cabin that was currently being erected not too far from their house. The wedding was to be very soon and the entire village was anticipating it. There was not one person in the small town that did not think Lucius and Ivy were the perfect match, and many of them had thought, even as Lucius and Ivy were children, that they would be together when the time came. Everyone was terribly excited about the entire affair and the excitement grew every day.

When the day came, however, it would be slightly bittersweet for Alice, for the Walkers as well, for that matter. She wanted her son to be happy, of course, as all mothers do. But, it also meant that he was leaving her. He would be moving out and leaving Alice alone in the house that used to be their's. She always knew this day would come, but she was not prepared for the emotions that flooded her chest at the thought of it now. It may not have been so bad if she was not going to be alone. She could even now feel the silence of loneliness that would prevail when Lucius was gone. Not that he filled the silence so much with words, but with his presence. It is distinct, the feeling of someone's presence even if they do not make it known.

Alice felt immediate guilt as she brooded this. She should be overjoyed at Lucius's happiness, she insisted to herself. She was being selfish by feeling sadness of any sort at her son's new life. Mrs. Hunt chastised herself, trying to force herself into complete joy at the very thought of the wedding. Her conflicting thoughts made her mind ache dully.

Edward stood and watched Alice as she was consumed by her thoughts. A troubled mask settled over her features and her breathing eradicated ever so slightly. It was perfectly clear that some unhappy thought plagued her mind and Mr. Walker watched carefully as she thought deeply. He did not know what she was thinking exactly, but he assumed the gist of it. And after a few moments of her contemplating, he broke through her reverie.

"Alice…" He tried to catch her attention.

She looked up after the very shortest of pauses and blinked away her tangled web of thoughts as if tearing down a cobweb that was in the path of her clear thinking.

"I apologize…I was caught up in my thoughts." Alice forced a small smile.

Edward smiled kindly and took a step forward, unconsciously placing his hand on Alice's arm in compassion. "Were you thinking about Lucius and Ivy's marriage?"

Mrs. Hunt did not respond right away, distracted by Edward's touch. It made her whole arm tingle and her heart leap into her throat, pounding and making it hard to breathe.

"I have been thinking of it often." He conceded when she did not speak. "My young daughter will be wed and leave our home. Kitty has already and now Ivy will as well." He sighed. "It is natural to feel sorrow for your child leaving you. Tabitha feels it deeply."

The mention of his wife brought his attention sharply to where his hand rest. He pulled away from Alice and took a couple steps back with an awkward smile gracing his face. The tension was strung in the air and the both of them held their breath as time stretched on.

Both stood stock still, as if they had committed a crime. A sin.

Edward was about to turn and just leave when a loud knock came from the front door. Alice took the distraction as means of escape from the uncomfortable situation.

She went quickly to the door and pulled it open, ready to welcome whomever it was.

"Oh, Kitty," Alice greeted her in surprise, opening the door for her.

"Is my father here?" She asked with an excited edge to her voice as she peered into the room.

"Yes, he is." Alice smiled and stood by as Kitty jumped up the steps and nearly ran across the room, jumping into her father's arms.

He grunted in surprise and then laughed quietly as he set her down. "My, Kitty, whatever is it?" He asked with amusement.

"Papa," She started with a deep breath. "I am with child!" She then blurted out in unconstrained enthusiasm before anything else could be said.

Mr. Walker had a look of complete shock upon his face that was almost comical. Kitty smiled proudly and rocked on her feet as she impatiently awaited her father's reaction.

It took a moment for it to sink in before his face split into a beam. "Kitty, you are going to have a child?" His voice was constricted with joyous surprise.

She nodded vigorously and Edward shook his head happily before sweeping Kitty back into an embrace. "Oh, Sweetheart, I am so happy for you."

Alice looked on with a wide smile, feeling the slightest bit out of place, but sincerely happy for Kitty. She remembered feeling the happiness of finding out you were to have a child.

Edward put his hands on Kitty's shoulders and held her at arm's length as if to see all that she had changed since he had seen her just yesterday evening.

"Where is your husband? He should be standing beside you now." He ribbed his daughter with good-nature at her disregard for the proper etiquette in situations such as this.

"He is still at work and I simply could not wait any longer to tell you, Papa." She sighed happily. "I have just come from telling mother, Ivy, and Lucius. They were the only ones there when I went home, but mother informed me that you were here." With that she turned to look at Alice.

Mrs. Hunt's smile widened as she took in the feeling that surrounded Kitty and then moved closer to hug her in congratulations. "I am so happy for you and Christop, Kitty." She whispered to her.

"Thank you, Mrs. Hunt" She gushed and then, with little patience, took her father's arm and lead him to the front door. "Come, Papa, I told mother I would bring you home so we could celebrate together."

He followed her to the door, but stopped in the frame of it as Kitty went ahead, and turned back to Alice.

"Thank you for dropping by." She smiled tightly before he could say anything.

"My pleasure," he inclined his head politely. "Thank you for having me."

"Congratulations, you are going to be a grandfather soon." Alice's smile became more comfortable as she teased him ever so slightly.

"I am, aren't I?" He smiled back. "I feel as old as ever."

Alice laughed quietly in response. "Soon we will both be the grandparents of Lucius and Ivy's children."

Edward smiled. "Someday," he agreed and then, before closing the door, he bid Alice goodbye and left her alone, standing in the middle of the large front room.

The thought of new children in the village caused Alice's heart to swell. It was always a joyous occasion when someone in the village was with child. The celebration of new life. A new promise to the future of the village. It was what motivated the very idea that the village existed for. It was the reason for the lie that they lived. To protect the new lives of those whom they cared for. To shelter them from the sorrow that lurked just outside the enclosure's walls. The new children were what kept the village what it was and gave it the faith it took everyone to uphold. They were simply more innocent minds to deceive.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…


	10. Some illusion

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 10

"Who knows what true loneliness is - not the conventional word but the naked terror? To the lonely themselves it wears a mask. The most miserable outcast hugs some memory or some illusion." Joseph Conrad

XxX

The night was calm and still. The grey clouds had not yet cleared yet from the morning's rain and they obscured the moon and stars from view with inky blackness. The village was still sheeted in dampness and the wind had started to pick up. It pushed the clouds across the sky in dark billowing gusts. The metal lanterns swung on the wooden posts and their yellow-orange flames flicked helplessly in the onslaught of the wind. Golden-yellow banners whipped violently along the edges of the forbidden line, standing out fiercely against the black shadows of the forest. The temperature had dropped significantly in the last few hours. Ice had formed where water once lay and it hung in tiny, fine icicles off the roofs of the houses. The lantern light illuminated the icicles and reflected off the small glass-like puddles of ice. Most of it had turned to slush and gathered in crevices and around buildings, waiting for the morning to come, when the temperature would rise and melt it into its former state. The frigid chill seemed inescapable, as if it extended across unfathomable distance until it wrapped the earth completely in its iron arctic grip.

Mr. And Mrs. Walker, Ivy, and Lucius were untouched by the elements outside of their warm cabin walls as they sat, gathered, in the Walkers' front room. Ivy and Lucius were sitting together, in front of the roaring fire, talking in hushed tones about what they were to do about their new-found lack of evidence. Lucius kept his eyes trained on Mr. and Mrs. Walker, who both sat on the settee, sipping tea and talking and laughing about Christop and Kitty's good news. He was keeping his eye on them to make certain that they did not hear anything of what he and Ivy were saying, for there was nowhere else for them to talk, unless they went through the horrid weather to the meeting house, which would be quite hard to explain or justify.

They had all spent the evening celebrating. At the village's dinner, it was announced before everyone, the fantastic news of the Cranes- Christop and Kitty. There was not one person that was not entirely thrilled at the thought of the elder Walker daughter having a child. Ivy was probably the most excited. She had been bouncing about all night with happiness at the prospect of being an aunt. And the night had been a long one, filled with festivities and merrymaking. The Cranes, the Walkers, and Lucius prolonged the gaiety and had a more private celebration at the Walkers' house. Alice had been invited, but declined politely, trying her best to come up with an excuse, but Lucius knew the real reason. And so did Edward. He made no move to persuade her, and she went home alone.

Christop and Kitty went home as well, just a short while ago and left Edward, Tabitha, Ivy, and Lucius to their own devices.

"Perhaps my father has kept…some of the books? Even one would be enough." Ivy whispered to Lucius.

He sighed, his eyes flickering over to Ivy before moving back to the Walkers. "Yes, it would be enough. But…I think the chance of him having any books where we might find them is…very small."

Ivy leaned in a little closer. "I will search Papa's room."

Lucius sighed. "Ivy, that may not be a good idea. What if you are caught?"

"I will be careful, I promise. It is our only chance Lucius." Ivy pleaded quietly.

He thought about it for a moment, not speaking for some time. "I suppose so. Just, please, be wary."

"Oh, I will." A smile spread across Ivy's face at the thought of finding something the drag the truth out of the elders and she leaned even closer to Lucius.

Edward smiled kindly as he watched the inaudible transpire between Lucius and Ivy. Their love made him feel warmed inside and he tightened his loose arm around his wife's shoulders.

"Is it not inspirational, their love?" He said to his wife with affection in his voice.

It may have just been Mr. Walker, but he could have sworn he felt Tabitha tense slightly at these words. Before Edward could say anything his wife spoke in a slightly raised voice.

"Lucius, do you not think it is time for you to get home?"

His eyes, momentarily on Ivy, moved back to Mrs. Walker in mild surprise. He took a small breath to speak but Ivy's voice interrupted him before he could get any words out.

"Mother, we are in conversation."

"You can talk tomorrow. It is late." Mrs. Walker's voice was firm and slightly louder than the first time she spoke.

"The weather is so cold to walk all the way to his house." Ivy argued.

"It will be cold all night, Ivy. Lucius should go home to his mother."

Ivy opened her mouth in anger, but Lucius cut her off before she could get Mrs. Walker any angrier.

"Yes, Mrs. Walker" He nodded, standing up and moving his eyes shyly to the floorboards. He moved to go towards the door and Ivy reached out and took hold of his sleeve, following his short steps to the door. She avoided looking anywhere near where her mother was as she went with Lucius to the door.

"I will show you out," Ivy offered politely, with an undertone of spite marked towards her mother.

"Thank you for having me over at you home." Lucius thanked the Walkers mannerly.

"Oh, you are always welcome, Lucius." Edward hastened to reply with a sympathetic smile, despite how ironic his statement was.

Lucius inclined his head to acknowledge Mr. Walker and opened the door, becoming violently aware of the cold weather. Ivy followed him outside and shut the door behind them, leaving Mr. And Mrs. Walker alone inside.

"I don't think that was quite necessary." Edward spoke quietly into the silence of the room.

"It is late. The boy should not be lurking about with Ivy every minute of the day." Her voice was clipped and terse.

"They are in love." Edward chuckled at the absurdity. "And I hardly consider him to be 'lurking'…"

Tabitha huffed and stood. "They are not married yet. Lucius should be spending more time with his mother and Ivy more time here."

It was then that Edward understood that Tabitha merely feared Ivy's departure from their family. Then Mrs. Walker left the room quickly to retire to their bedroom and closed the door with a snap.

XxX

The front door was blown shut by the wind and Lucius and Ivy stepped onto the grass as it crunched beneath their feet.

"Ivy it is freezing out here. Why do you not go back inside?" He suggested, placing his hand on her arm.

"I do not want to." She answered simply.

He exhaled, watching his breath come out in visible puffs and mingle with Ivy's as she stood before him. "Here," he whispered, removing his coat and wrapping it around Ivy.

"My mother makes me so angry, Lucius." She shook her head and leaned back against the damp wall of the house, pulling the coat tighter around herself.

"Do not let her bother you so, Ivy. She does not bid you harm."

"She does, Lucius. She has never liked me as much as Kitty." Ivy admitted this reluctantly.

"That is not true." Lucius said it as more of a question than a command.

"It is."She whispered into the night.

Lucius shivered involuntarily at the cold of the temperature as well as the coldness of Ivy's answer. He did not know how else to comfort her but with silence.

Ivy turned her head and focused on Lucius's color. The light in the darkness. She reached out and put her hands on his chest, moving closer to him. She turned her face up to Lucius's and let her breath out slowly. It moved like smoke and dissipated into the air. Lucius looked down at Ivy, her unfocused eyes on only him, her nose red, cheeks rosy with the biting cold, his coat hanging much too large on her body. He placed his hands on her waist and leaned forward slowly. His hot breath fanned Ivy's face and she leaned in much closer towards Lucius's body heat. "I cannot wait to be married," she murmured just before their lips met in a loving kiss.

XxX

The next day dawned bright and clear. Every trace of clouds had disappeared from the sky, leaving it a pale, lazy blue and the sun shown brilliantly down on the village. It was damp and crisp, the breeze ruffling the trees and grass. The chill still hung in the air as the puddles went on drying slowly in the sun.

Lucius woke a little later than usual, the sun streaming through the shudder slats, slicing the room with rays of light. He had promised to go to Ivy in the morning, but he was not sure it was a very good idea. Mrs. Walker's curtness with him last night had him feeling slightly uncomfortable. He had never become close with Ivy's mother, but he did not understand why she would dislike him so. She may think he was not good enough for his daughter. And maybe he wasn't. He had thought on it sometimes. He was a simple blacksmith and Ivy was daughter of the chief elders in the village. The tradition of social status was not practiced by those in the village-everyone was equal-but he could not help thinking on it. Mr. Walker had always seemed to like him, and he never admitted it to anyone, but Edward Walker had been his father figure, especially when he was a child. It really meant a lot to Lucius that Mr. Walker was accepting him into his family as Ivy's husband. Which reminded him that he should stop lazing and get up, but before he could act on it, a voice broke through his thoughts.

"Lucius," was followed by a knock on his bedroom door and then the person attached to the voice pushed the door open.

"You have been in bed for a long time, are you all right?" His mother asked with slight concern, peeking her head around the door.

"I am fine" He insisted, sitting up.

"Ivy was here earlier." Alice informed him, opening the door wider and standing in the door frame.

"She was? Why did you not wake me up?" Lucius had become more alert at his mother's mention of Ivy.

Mrs. Hunt smiled softly at her son. "She asked me not to. I told her I would tell you she stopped by though."

He nodded and she stood there for a second, before turning finally to leave. However, before she could get very far, Lucius impulsively called his mother back.

"Yes?" She inquired with slightly raised eyebrows.

Lucius looked at her for a moment without speaking and Alice stood there patiently until he found his voice.

"…Do you love Mr. Walker?"

Alice stood still, now in shock, for some time before she responded. It consisted of smiling tightly and letting out a sigh of disbelief. Lucius gazed at her, waiting for her to say something.

"I…I…love him. As I do everyone in this village. As our family." She said this quietly and dropped her gaze to the floor.

Lucius let out the breath he was holding and pressed further. "Do you not love him…any more than that? Any differently?"

A very long pause ensued as Alice stared at the floor, and then regarded Lucius carefully.

"He is married." She said this deliberately.

"You did not answer my question." Lucius ventured.

Alice smiled again uncomfortably. "Lucius, you know not what you ask. You are asking me to profess love to a man who is spoken for." Her tone was slightly patronizing in distress.

"So you do love him." Lucius stated.

Alice moved her eyes to the window and did not answer right away. "I love your father still." She finally confessed.

"You still do not answer my question." Lucius whispered, casting his eyes to the floor, now wary of his mother's potential anger.

Alice looked at her son incredulously and then away again with a quiet laugh. "Why does it matter? He is married."

"Because I wish to know. I think you do. I think he loves you as well." Lucius ventured even further and even more warily.

"Lucius, even if I did…it would..." She struggled to find words and Lucius broke in.

"So you do?"

Mrs. Hunt sighed, straightening her back with annoyance. "Lucius! Fine. I do. But nothing will come of it. Nothing. And you are to tell _no one_."

Lucius nodded, struck with what his mother had confessed, though he knew it all along.

Alice sighed deeply, shaking her head.

"It is sad. That you love someone and cannot be with them." Lucius said quietly in sympathy. Not even wanting to imagine if Ivy had married someone else.

Alice said nothing, only turned and left her son alone in his room. It had never really occurred to her that she had really loved Edward and would never be with him. She had never, of course, entertained the idea that Edward would divorce, or whatever the case may be, to be with her. Never. She had never really thought about it more than what she felt, and what she thought Edward felt. And while she felt this love for him, and thought of his feelings, there was that shimmer of something. Some hope…or something that rippled on the surface only when the right glints of light hit it. But, once she looked deeper into this pond of thought and feelings, escaping the surface and looking past the pangs of unreality…it disappeared entirely. The further she delved into the reality, the greater it became painfully aware that she was quite alone. And would remain so.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…


	11. The truth, of course

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 11

"The truth, of course, is that a billion falsehoods told a billion times by a billion people are still false." Travis Walton

XxX

The morning air was clean and fresh from the cleansing of the rain and the breeze was soft and gentle, lovingly caressing the trees with its invisible fingers. The dew gathered on every surface of the village. It clung to the long grass in pearls of condensation and the sun made them sparkle with light. It was still cold and brisk though all the ice had melted and the sun was no longer hidden by rainy gloom. The leaves that had dropped from some of the trees in the village swirled around, skimming the grass and getting caught up with the breeze, dancing with the rustle of autumn. The color of everything seemed somewhat dulled, although the sun should have brightened the world.

Ivy Walker crept quietly down the hall of her house. It was early morning and she had just heard her mother and father leave the house. Her father had gone to check on the working men like he did every morning, and her mother had gone to help with the women's morning chores as she did a couple times a week. Ivy had left earlier in the morning and went to Lucius's house, but he was still sleeping. Mrs. Hunt had asked her if she wanted her to wake him, but Ivy said no. She had wanted Lucius to be a look out while she went into her parents' room, but she could do it without him.

So once she heard her parents leave, she got out of bed and was now carefully moving towards their room. One of them could come back if they finished early or something rather. She maybe should have waited for Lucius, but she couldn't help herself. The anxious excitement of potentially finding books that they could use as evidence had settled in her stomach and made it hard for her to breathe. And who knows when her parents would leave the house again. This was her chance.

Ivy ran her hand along the wall and finally came to the door of her parents' room. She pushed it open slowly and it creaked mercilessly as she grimaced, pausing for a moment to listen for anyone coming. She heard nothing, so she opened the door all the way and felt her way into the room. She hadn't been inside this room in a long time. When she was a very young girl she used to sleep in her parents bed, afraid of the creatures that lurked beyond their borders. Then, when she lost her sight, she slept in her parents room because she was afraid, but not of any creatures. She was afraid of not being able to see anymore. It scared her so deeply. She felt inadequate and she stayed by her father constantly for his protection. He would always make Ivy feel safe and loved. But soon Ivy grew out of the dependence brought on by sightlessness and instead grew independent because of her blindness.

She immediately dropped down and started to crawl on the floor. The first place she could think to look was under the bed. So she moved slowly on her hands and knees to the bed and then lay down on her stomach, reaching under the bed blindly. All her hands felt were the dusty wooden planks of the floor. She scooted over and reached out even further. Ivy went on this way until she was certain she had felt every surface under the bed. There were no books. She also checked for loose floorboards, for her and Kitty had found some in their room and had hidden little girl things like poppets and dried flowers under them. But, she found no such boards in this room. So she moved to the tables next to the bed. She searched every inch carefully with her developed sense touch. She felt a couple of books but they were not what she was looking for. She knew because they were the school books she had been forced to be read to from since she was a girl.

She went on, looking through the entire room. Always hoping that she would come across something unusual. Something that would give her and Lucius the proof they needed, but no such luck. When she left the room twenty minutes later, it was with empty hands. She brushed herself off with a sigh and closed the door behind her, standing in the front room, disappointment coursing through her.

"Ivy,"

She jumped and looked over to where the voice had come from, smoothing her hands over her clothes and breathing deeply. It was her mother.

"Mother," Ivy whispered after swallowing. She was afraid her mother had seen her leave her and father's room. But, it seems she did not, for she said nothing of it.

"Ivy, dear, I am glad I caught you before you left. I wanted to talk with you." Mrs. Walker smiled and took Ivy's arm, leading her over to the settee and sitting her down.

Ivy was more than suspicious. "Is that so? What is it then, Mother?"

Her mother sat down next to Ivy and held her hand in her own. "Ivy, I know your wedding is rapidly approaching…"

Ivy wrinkled her nose the smallest bit in distaste. With her thoughts on getting caught snooping, she had nearly forgotten how her mother had acted the night prior. She was still very sore about it.

"…And I know you and that boy are in love. But, I really feel you should be spending more time at home before you get married and move away from this house." Her mother spoke gently. The fake kind of gentleness that held something much more violent beneath it.

"What would I do at home, Mother?" Ivy tried her hardest to keep her tone civil. She wanted anything but to anger her mother enough to make her do something like forbid her to see Lucius.

"Oh, Ivy. What did you used to do at home before you started going with that boy?"

"Lucius." Ivy corrected.

"What, Dear?" Her mother asked off-handedly, not really caring for the answer.

Ivy closed her eyes tightly and inhaled slowly and deeply. "I do not know." She kept her voice steady by some miracle. She couldn't quite remember what she did before her and Lucius confessed their love for one another. Then she remembered. It took her a moment to get the whispered word out. "I would…play with Noah."

Mrs. Walker dismissed it, as if what Ivy had said was in no way causing her daughter any pain. "Well, you can't do that now, Dear."

Ivy jerked her head, turning away from her mother, her eyes closed tightly to the bad memories that flashed before her eyes. But, her mother seemed to not have noticed Ivy's distress.

"I am certain there are other things for you to do then to gallivant around with that boy."

Ivy hated how her mother could not even say his name. She hated how her mother acted; she could not stand one more minute of it. Ivy stood up abruptly.

"His name is Lucius. Lucius Hunt. And I am going to marry him. What harm is there in my spending time with the man that I love?" Ivy's voice was raised and her words firm, but she held herself back from shouting. She so wanted to shout, but she did not. She knew better than to show blatant disrespect for her mother.

"There is nothing wrong with it." Tabitha Walker laughed quietly. It angered Ivy all the more. But, her mother was oblivious to her anger and went on. "Do you not want to spend more time with your family before you are wed? You will be moving away and we will see you less."

Ivy shook her head. "I will still spend time with my family, whether I am wed or not. Lucius will simply be a part of the family then. And I wish you would understand that."

It was silent for a moment and Ivy could no longer stand it. She took a deep breath to still her anger. "What is the ill in him you see? Why do you dislike him so? I cannot fathom…"

There was a pause. "I do not think ill of Lucius. He is a nice, polite boy…"

Ivy let out an inaudible scoff of disbelief and her mother went on. "I mean only what I say. I wish for you to spend more time here before you are pulled away from me by him."

It was getting harder and harder for Ivy to stop from shouting, but she did it marvelously now. "You never spend time with me, Mother. You must have forgotten…you and I do not have the relationship that you and Kitty have."

"Oh, Ivy. Perhaps Kitty and I are closer, as are you and your father. That does not mean I do not love you." Her mother's voice held some kind of emotion that was often not there, and it surprised Ivy so. It surprised her even more when she was pulled into an embrace by her mother. This was foreign to her. It was her father who loved her like this, never her mother.

Mrs. Walker pulled away and looked at her daughter. "It is not Lucius I disapprove of. But his mother is…less of a good woman than I once thought she was."

That broke Ivy's resolve. She took a step back, out of her mother's reach. "Mrs. Hunt is wonderful. She had been nothing but kind to me and I think you should reconcile whatever it is that angers you with her because she is going to be my mother by marriage soon. More a part of this family than she already is." Her voice rose even higher than before and indignation dripped off her words. She knew now why her mother was angry at Mrs. Hunt. She must know about Papa's feelings for her. No good could come from that knowledge.

Mrs. Walker did not speak for sometime and when she did, it shocked Ivy so that the anger drained from her instantly. "You are right, Ivy. She will be a part of the family, and we should treat each other as such."

Ivy nodded belatedly, not knowing what to say.

"Ivy, I know we have had our differences. Especially lately…but, I wanted everything to be well between us before you wed."

Ivy nodded again, this time feeling her mother's words. She understood what she meant entirely and she felt their truth as well. There was something that had changed in her mother. Wedding do strange things to people, but most of all, they make people aware of love. And maybe that is all that happened. But, Ivy wanted to leave the discomfort of this room and go to tell Lucius about the nothing she had found in her parents' room. She just wanted to escape. She had no problem with forgiving her mother. None at all. She just wanted this rift between them and between Alice Hunt and her to be settled. She wanted everything perfect for her wedding. And she would see that it was. It seemed her mother had the same idea. Perhaps her father had spoken to her mother about it. It seemed the most logical answer. Whatever it was, she did not care.

"Yes, Mother, me too. All is well between you and I. Now, you must resolve what is between you and Mrs. Hunt. Whatever it may be." Ivy said quietly.

Her mother hugged her again, and she hugged back, before explaining that she had to leave and swiftly escaping to the crisp morning air. She was still reeling from the conversation and something had been weighing on her mind since her conversation with her mother and so she turned and walked away.

XxX

The sounds of laughing children floated in on the wind through the open window of the Hunts' house and reached Lucius's ears as he walked slowly down the hall into the front room.

"Mother, I am leaving." He called quietly into the rest of the house, he was afraid that his mother was angry at him for how he had pressed her so just moments before.

It was silent for sometime and he thought she would not answer so he turned to go. But before he could make it out the door he heard his mother's footsteps as she moved into the room.

"Lucius," she spoke as she wiped her hands on her apron.

He turned to her.

"Lucius, I told Mr. Nicholson that you would bring him some more firewood today. He seems to not be feeling well… I think it is the whole affair with Marybeth."

Lucius nodded. "How is young Marybeth?"

"She is as well as can be expected. I had just spoken with the doctor last night he says she will recover fully."

"That is good." He commented sincerely, then simply stood, slightly ashamed of how he had angered his mother earlier.

Alice noticed his discomfort and smiled. "Ivy is waiting for you, is she not?"

Lucius looked up to his mother and just looked at her for a short moment. Then he nodded and bid his mother goodbye before leaving and closing the door behind him.

He shoved his hands deep in his coat pockets and started towards the Walker's house, not really paying attention to the path he followed subconsciously. He looked out across to the woods and then back to the Walkers' before looking to where he was gazing just a moment before. His eyes had caught something in the cemetery that lay just before the forest on the grassy hill. There was a figure kneeling, hair blowing in the wind. Lucius's steps faltered and he stopped, staring off for a short moment. Then he turned and started down the knoll, towards the cemetery.

It seemed to take forever for him to reach the old metal fence that enclosed the resting place of the villagers that had passed on. Lucius stood before it and opened the gate, the rusted hinges creaked loudly. He flinched. The only other person who could hear it, did not. Lucius left the gate open and walked slowly, weaving through the plots and tombstones.

He stopped next to Ivy and stood for a long moment. She did not acknowledge him and he looked down at her bowed head. She was kneeling before Noah Percy's grave. The murmurs from her whispered prayer reached his ears and he then sank to his knees beside her, bowing his own head. And for the longest time, it seemed, they prayed silently together over their dear friend.

After several moments and a whispered "Amen" Lucius sat back on his heels. He did not speak for fear of disrupting Ivy, who still knelt, head down. So when the silence was broken, it was by Ivy.

"I miss him."

Lucius took a deep breath, not knowing what to say. All he could think of was, "I as well."

"With all that has been happening, I have forgotten him." She whispered in broken sort of voice.

"You did not forget him, Ivy. " Lucius reassured her, draping his arm across her shoulders in a comforting motion.

"I did. Completely." She insisted.

"You did not." He said firmly, slowly. "He is always in our hearts. We do not need to mourn his death everyday to have him in our hearts. We will never forget him. It is impossible."

Ivy let out a sob and pressed her hand to her mouth. When she mentioned Noah to her mother all the memories had come back to her. And now she could not stop them and the feelings that came with them. "I know." She sniffled. "He is in a better place. Do you not think so?"

Lucius nodded, "He is. Somewhere where there is no quiet room." The memory of how much Noah despised the quiet room surfaced in his mind.

Ivy smiled slightly through her tears and nodded back. "He would like that."

Lucius rubbed Ivy's back, saying nothing, and instead studied the tombstone before him. It was plain, like all the other tombstones, and said nothing but his name, date of death and birth and that he was a beloved son. It was cold and grey and seemed to portray anything but what Noah was. To see it chiseled in hard stone made it real and painful and Lucius looked away.

It was a long silent moment before Ivy spoke again. "Lucius, I searched my parents' room."

Lucius moved slowly into a cross legged position, facing Ivy, and took a deep breath. He was afraid of what Ivy was going to say. If she hadn't found anything...then they had nowhere else to turn.

"There was nothing there." She added quietly.

Lucius sighed and dropped his head slightly to look at the plush grass before him. "I suppose we did not really expect to find anything."

"But what will we do now?" She asked with a tone of hopelessness.

"We will think of something." Lucius said after a pause. "We will find someway to prove the elder's lies." He said this though he did not really believe it. He could not imagine finding anything else that would be used as evidence, but he wanted to make Ivy feel better.

"What could we possibly find, Lucius?" She asked in distress.

He shook his head. "We will not know until we find it."

Ivy let out a shaky breath and nodded. She supposed he was right. It would do no use to worry over it...it would only make things worse.

It was then that loud laughing shouts reached their ears. Ivy turned her head to the sound and Lucius looked over to the forbidden line where a small boy stood up straight and still on the stump, his back to the forest.

The smaller boys would come out and play the stump game during the day so it was not as frightening as when it was dark. There huddled a small cluster of boys watching the one boy standing with courage in front of the woods and they shouted to him with humor that a creature was right behind him. The small boy made a sound and jumped from the stump, running towards the laughing group of boys.

"That was not very nice." Ivy commented. Lucius simply watched as the boys ran back to the village. He remembered the game. He remembered the complete lack of fear he felt, and the admiration of the group of boys watching him. He did not understand it, their fear. He watched as the boys cowered on the stump and he felt bad for them, but he could not truly understand their fear. And now he knew. They had all been afraid of nothing.

"Is that the sound of men working on our house?" Ivy's voice reached Lucius's ears and he was mildly confused before the distant sound of hammering on wood met his ears.

"Yes." Lucius could see the house over the green knoll, it was half finished now and steadily progressing.

"What does it look like, Lucius?" She asked, taking his hand.

"It..." Lucius did not want to say 'like all the other houses' because he knew that wouldn't satisfy Ivy. And he knew it was more than just another house. "It has a cobblestone foundation. I watched them build the cellar." He said this with an ironical tone. He had offered to help them built it as well, but they insisted they could take care of it. And they did. "They have finished the porch. And they have done most of the outside." The outer walls were wood planked, but unpainted.

"It sounds beautiful. Is it, Lucius?" Ivy sighed happily.

"It is perfect." He whispered, leaning forward and bowing his head to drop a kiss in Ivy's hair.

"I want to feel it." Ivy leaned into Lucius, pressing her cheek against his chest.

"When it is all done." He replied. "I want you to be surprised."

She smiled into him. "Okay."

And soundlessness prevailed for some time, Ivy turning to lie back against Lucius's chest with a content sigh.

"Ivy, when you went the towns, what was it like? Can you remember?"

She was slightly surprised by Lucius's random questioning though he was prone to do so.

"Well...I remember a loud...thunder-like sound..." She started.

"Thunder-like?"

"Yes, it was loud and it rumbled like thunder. But, then it went away abruptly. Then I heard the man's voice. Kevin. He had a kind voice."

Lucius nodded, thinking it over. "I do not know what would cause a thunder-like sound..." Then something clicked dully in his mind. "Well...the airplane made a thunder-like sound. Could it have been an airplane you heard?"

Ivy shrugged. "If airplanes are in the air...I think it was closer than that. It seemed to be right in front of me."

"Hmm..." Lucius did not know what to think. "What did this Kevin say?"

"He wanted to know where I came from...he spoke...with a different accent, or something. I could not understand some of the words he was using."

"That is strange." Lucius remarked. "You would think a town just beyond our borders would speak nearly the same as we do."

Ivy nodded. "I thought so as well. But, I was more concerned about you; I do not think I was paying proper attention." She confessed.

Lucius sighed. The whole thing seemed to get more and more tangled the more they investigated it. He was afraid they would never find out what the elders were hiding. That they would forever be hidden under a web of lies and deceit. Perhaps they would never know what was in the towns that was important enough to have to be scared away from. Maybe it would never be clear as to what caused the elders to create this incredible guile.

"Let us go for a walk Lucius, I wish to clear my mind of this for now." Ivy suggested, standing up. And Lucius followed her, more despondent than ever about their chances of discovering and unveiling the elders' secrets.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…


	12. You can't forget

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 12

"In this great future you can't forget your past." Bob Marley

XxX

The day had given way to evening as the sun melted slowly from the sky. It slipped down behind the horizon and disappeared behind the line of forest trees. The stars and the moon were visible only in the top half of the darkened sky while the bottom half was sullied by the diffusing light of the hidden sun. The whisper of the wind blew through the village and murmured its secrets into the ears of the trees and the open windows of the homes. It was a beautiful night, a night of still silence, broken only by the hammering and shouts of the men at work on the new house. They were trying to get all they could done before the light completely diminished. The wedding was looming closer with every day and the workers were put on a short time line, they had started late because of what had happened to Lucius and the funeral and finally the rain. But now they were well under way. The crickets had just started to accompany the other sounds of the night and they could be heard distinctly from the front room of the Walkers' house where Mrs. And Mr. Walker now sat.

There was a comfortable silence that hung in the air until it was broken by the hesitant voice of Mrs. Walker.

"Edward, I talked to Ivy today."

Edward Walker looked at his wife, not sure what to say to that for he was certain it must have ended in a fight. So, "Is that so?" was all that he said.

"Yes, I think that it went well." she answered with a dull happiness in her voice.

"Well, that is good. What did you speak of?"

"Her marriage. Lucius is a nice boy is he not?" She asked, a sly prompt hidden beneath her tone.

Edward blinked and turned to look at her, wondering what she was up to for it was certainly an odd comment for her to make. "He is."

"You do think so don't you? And his mother. You think she is nice too?" The manner in which she spoke brought question to Edward's mind, wondering what it was that his wife was up to...for it was surely something. His mind stopped briefly on the thought that she had found out about his slight...feelings for Alice, but he did not want to believe that for a moment.

"Uh, yes, yes, Alice is nice." He said after clearing his throat gently.

"I thought you might think so." She went on, her voice becoming all the more ominous.

Mr. Walker did not speak for a moment, and then he took a breath and said firmly, "What are you saying, Tabitha?"

She turned to him sharply, looking at him incredulously. "I am telling you that I have seen the way you look at Alice, Edward. I have seen the way she looks at you. And I do not like it at all."

Edward just sat there, staring at his wife. She knew. For some reason that fact scared him. Fear held his heart in its grip and stopped his breath from leaving his chest. He did not know what to say so silence prevailed.

"What do you-?" Edward started finally but was quickly interrupted by his wife.

"You know what I mean, Edward!" Her voice rose. She did not want to get angry at him-well, she already was angry-she didn't want to show outward signs of anger, but it was consuming her, getting the best of her, and slowly she was starting to care less about the promise she made to herself. "I see the way she looks at you..."

Edward leaned forward, setting his elbows on his knees and dropped his face into his hands. He felt like his whole world was slowly collapsing around him and he was powerless to stop it. He took a moment to gather his thoughts and then he sat back up and looked straight into his wife's eyes.

"Tabitha, I love you. And I want no one to come between the promise I made to you. The promise we made to each other. You have no reason to believe any differently." With that he took her hand in his.

Tabitha Walker stared at her husband, trying to gauge his honesty. The very thought made her breath catch, she had never doubted him before. He had always been perfectly honest with her. Always. Why should now be any different?

"Edward, I want you to talk to her. I want you to tell her that you are married. That she needs to stop...her affection. That it will never amount to anything."

He sighed and looked to the floor for a second before looking back up and nodding slowly. "Okay."

XxX

Alice Hunt paced back and forth in the front room of her house. In her hand she fiddled restlessly with a metal key and her eyes were trained on a locked black box that sat on the table she walked in front of.

That box had haunted her thoughts all day. She could not seem to get past it. Every time she tried to get her mind off of it, it would come back to overwhelm her thoughts again.

Thinking about the future consequently had her thinking about the past. About her husband. About the life they had left behind. And when she thought about her past, the box loomed before her. The box held her past captive. Close, but not forgotten. The secrets of everyone's pasts lie in their black boxes. And Alice had been battling about whether or not to open hers.

She really didn't like opening it. It seemed that when she did, the flood of emotions of her past would overtake her and afterwards she would tell herself she would never open it again and would instead live in the present and refuse to dwell on the past. But now...she thought maybe it was best if she looked through it and then put it behind her again for a time, instead of letting the thoughts she was having now seep into her mind. Yes...She would just open it...deal with her lingering thoughts and feelings now and then lock it back up again.

Alice stopped in her tracks and then took a deep breath before stepping slowly up to the wooden table she had set the box on. Without hesitating, she placed the key into the lock, turned it until it clicked, and then pulled it out again. She set t he key on the table blindly as she slowly started to pull the top open. Just as she had gotten it an inch open with her slow movements, there was a sharp rap on the door.

It startled Alice so that she jumped where she stood. After a moment, when her heart settled back into a natural rhythm and she laughed at herself for being so jittery, she went to answer the door. To her immense surprise it was Edward Walker.

"Edward," She greeted him with a smile. He smiled back though it seemed strained and even melancholy.

"Is...something the matter?" She asked with concern. His tight smile didn't waver as he ignored her question.

"May I come in?"

Alice nodded and stood back to let him in and then shut the door behind him. "Is something wrong?" She asked again as she stood uncomfortably by the door.

"I would say so. Yes." He answered, his back to her.

Alice regarded him carefully. "All right...What is it?" He didn't answer, just stood, turned away from her and she brought her hands together as she wrung them with nervousness.

"Tabitha talked with me this evening...she-uh...she thinks that you have...feelings for me." He could barely push the incriminating words past his lips, his speech stilted.

Alice stopped moving, stopped breathing, wondering if she had heard correctly. It had been Lucius who had noticed first that Edward had had feelings for her in the first place. And now he stood accusing her of...having feelings for him. And not even admitting that he had started it.

Edward turned finally to look at Alice, but his eyes did not meet hers. In fact, he did not even look at her, he held his gaze to the floor.

Before Alice could stop herself she had blurted out, "Lucius told me that he was aware of your feelings for me. He told me so before he and Ivy had decided to marry...before everything...was he mistaken?"

Mr. Walker, surprised by her words, pulled his eyes up to meet hers and simply stared.

"I am sorry, Edward. Forget I asked." Alice broke the gaze and looked away, ashamed of asking what he could never admit to.

"No, Alice."

It was then that Alice noticed their close proximity. Before she could speak again, he went on, "I won't forget it, Alice. You speak what you feel. I understand your anger...do you think that I led you on?"

Alice turned so that she faced Edward, and uncomfortable with how close he stood, she took a half step back. "This isn't your fault," was all she could think to say.

Looking back to him, the need to explain overwhelmed her. "Lucius just said...and I just got carried away. I never thought...I just...I am sorry." She shook her head and closed her eyes in frustration at her inability to form her thoughts into complete sentences.

Edward unthinkingly put his hand on her arm but she stepped back desperately as if his touch had hurt her. And, oh, it hurt so much.

The tension in the room was palpable. The two wanted nothing but to escape or to stay right there forever. The last was unthinkable...so escaping was what they both prayed silently to do, yet neither moved even an inch.

"Forgive me." He whispered into the thick silence. Alice said nothing in response. Mr. Walker sighed. "Lucius said that I had feelings for you?"

She nodded. "He said he thought so because you...never touched me...and something about how we never do that things we want to...because we do not want others to know we want to do them..."

Edward smiled a little at the boy's observation, but the smile was sad with the weight of all that was happening. "...maybe he was right." He whispered so softly that Alice had to strain to hear it.

Her body immediately stiffened, as she knew that was the closest admission to his feelings that he would willingly provide to her. 'Maybe he was right.'

Still, Alice could not help the feeling of anger that she couldn't explain...and the overwhelming despairing sorrow. Her eyes welled up with tears, but she held them at bay. "And...maybe Tabitha was right."

Edward looked at her with a flash of something like pity on his face...and it brought a flare of anger to Alice. A tear rolled down her cheek and she made no move to wipe it away as she looked at Edward firmly in the eyes. "Do not look at me like that, Edward." She choked out...suddenly feeling that she did not know the man that stood before her.

"Like what?" He asked softly, his heart breaking at the pain this was causing Alice.

"Like you feel sorry for me." She whispered.

"I never wanted any of this to happen." He went whispered back, as if it would make the words sting any less than if he had said them shouting.

Alice closed her eyes tightly and turned her back, more tears slid down her cheeks and she didn't want him to see. First he admitted to having feelings for her and then he said he didn't want this to happen...he didn't want to have feelings for her. That he was sorry he ever had them. She never expected him to say anything about his feelings for her...but she never expected he would say he wished he didn't have them. It made her feel even more alone and she tried desperately to compose herself.

"Edward, go back to your wife...there is nothing between us."

He took a step closer, standing right behind her. "Do not be angry at me Alice, please." He pleaded.

She, against her better judgment, turned back around to face him as she wiped her damp face. "Edward. I never thought that you would _ever_ act on your feelings...not ever. I never wanted you to...leave your wife, or anything of the sort. When you sent Ivy to the...towns...you said that it was all you could give me. And it saved my son. You did. And I could not ask for anything more. I never thanked you, Edward." This time when she looked at him, there was no anger evident in her eyes.

Mr. Walker shook his head and held up his hands. "I did nothing. The doctor saved Lucius...Ivy saved Lucius. I did not."

Alice sighed and looked out the window, transfixed by the swaying, now lit, lanterns. "Ivy would never have gone without your permission. It was hard letting her go. You stood up against all of the elders...all to save Lucius. And I appreciate it, and it is more than I could have asked of you. When you said it was all you could give me...I believed you. I knew it was all you could give me, and I know it now. I want nothing more of you, Edward. You need to go back to your wife...you need to tell her there is nothing between us...because there _is_ nothing. I know you made a commitment to Tabitha and you love her. You need not to feel, in any fashion, any sort of...obligation to me. Just go to your wife...and forget this ever happened. I want us to be friends, Edward. Like we used to be. When we were comfortable around each other. Can we not have that again?" With those last words, Alice turned to Edward and looked at him with an unreadable expression. They stood mere inches apart and she could see in detail the different emotions flickering over his face.

Edward nodded after a short pause. "Of course we can, Alice. I want that to. I want us to be friends."

How ironic it was then, that in the split second after agreeing that both wanted only to be friends that their faces moved closer to each other's until they could both feel each other's breath on their faces.

Emotions welled up, flooding through both of them and shutting off their thoughts. Before either could think, speak, or even breathe, their lips met.

It was a passionate kiss of long suppressed emotion and it was completely uncertain as to who had initiated it. Perhaps it was neither...and it just happened. Like it was something that had to happen for the world to keep spinning. Alice moved her hands to Edward's chest and his hands moved to hold her waist. The fire consumed them both in a burst of heat.

It wasn't long though until Alice's brain started to work again. And when it did, an alarm blared through her whole body. She pulled away from Edward and stumbled slowly backwards, pressing her hand to her burning lips.

"I am so sorry." She whispered, staring at him. "I am so sorry. What have I done?" She shook her head, thinking of the married man she had been kissing and before he could respond she was drowned by the need to get out and she turned and fled, running down her steps and away from her house.

Edward just stood in the middle of the front room, not moving. He couldn't believe that they had...kissed. Everything was happening so, so quickly. He was married. It was not Alice's fault, he knew, he had wanted it too. But he had never thought it would happen. He smiled slightly beside himself for it had felt good. The spark that passed through them. But he could not feel the comfortable love in it that he felt when he kissed his wife. He nodded slowly to himself, realizing that he was going to be with his wife and that he and Alice were going to be good friends. Just like they used to be. The kiss they had just shared had killed all the tension between them, he could feel it even now. And he knew that they were going to be friends, just like she wanted. And he was going to go home to his wife now.

Edward Walker turned and walked out the open door, shutting it behind him, and he jogged down the steps, walking back to his house in the dark, knowing that Alice would want to be alone, and there was nothing he could do to make her feel better now.

XxX

Lucius knocked on the door of Mr. Nicholson's house with one hand as he balanced the pile of wood on one arm.

It opened soon after and Mr. Nicholson smiled at Lucius, letting him into the warm house.

As Lucius stacked the wood he had chopped next to the fireplace, August Nicholson came and sat down in his chair by the fire. "Thank you, Lucius. I have not been feeling well these last couple of days." He admitted.

Lucius nodded. "You are welcome."

August smiled at the words, not used to Lucius speaking to him. It reminded him painfully of his son, but he kept the smile on his face despite the sorrow that coursed through him, as it did the last few days.

"I was so pleased to hear of your engagement to Ivy. The wedding is soon, is it not?"

Lucius did not smile so to speak, but his eyes lit up and they shone in the firelight. "Yes. It is."

August nodded, his smile crinkling the skin around his eyes. "That is wonderful." He watched as Lucius went on stacking the wood. "And how is your mother?"

Lucius stared into the fire, remembering what he and his mother had talked about this morning. "She is well, sir." Lucius answered quietly.

"That is good." August nodded, his gaze stayed on Lucius. "I would wager that she is very excited about the wedding."

Lucius looked at Mr. Nicholson, thinking of how his mother would tell him so everyday; how she went by the house they were building several times a day to see how it was progressing, the way she helped to organize the plans of the wedding day. August chuckled at the expression on Lucius's face and nodded. "Mothers will be like that," he said knowingly.

Lucius turned to continue stacking but August stopped him. "That is enough, Lucius. Why do you not take the rest home for your mother to use?"

Lucius simply nodded in agreement and stood to leave.

XxX

As Lucius walked slowly to his home, he hoped his mother wasn't worrying about him, he wasn't quite certain if he had told her he was going to be out this late. But he was with Ivy and he sort of lost track of time, and then he realized he needed to bring Mr. Nicholson firewood like he had told his mother he would.

He was walking by one of the sheds when he saw the silhouette of a person leaning back against one of the sides, their head bent. Lucius stopped and stood looking at the black shape, wondering if he should go up to them. He decided to and, with his arms still full of wood, he walked slowly up to the figure.

It wasn't until he was a couple feet away when he realized that the shadowed figure was his own mother. He stood still, waiting for her to notice him standing before her. She didn't, it seemed. "Mother?" He asked quietly.

She finally looked up at him and the small pool of light cast from a nearby lantern highlighted the tears on her cheeks. "Hello, Lucius." She smiled through her tears.

He dropped the logs at his feet and took a step closer, not breaking eye contact. "Mother...what is wrong?" He asked gently.

Her smile widened at his kindness and she leaned away from the side of the building. "I am fine, Dear," Alice whispered as she wiped the tears from her face.

Lucius shook his head. "Why are you crying?"

She laughed quietly, though it threatened to turn into sobs. "Remember what we were talking about this morning?" She asked.

Lucius nodded.

"Well, Edward came over this evening to discuss the same thing."

He said nothing as he waited for her to speak in more detail.

"We just...talked. We are still good friends, and that is it." Alice was not going to tell her son about the kiss her and Mr. Walker had shared. Oh, no. She wasn't going to tell anyone. Ever.

"I am sorry." Lucius offered, feeling deep sadness for his mother. He knew she was lonely and he wanted her to feel better.

"I am fine, Lucius." She insisted, trying to convince herself as much as him. "It was stupid of me to have feelings for him. He is married."

Lucius did not say anything for a few moments as his mother stared off into the dark outline of the woods. "I want you to be happy." He said, his tone hushed.

She smiled again, turned to look at her only son. "I really am fine, Lucius. You make me happy." She took his face in her hands and kissed his forehead. "Do not worry over me any longer." He nodded only to appease her.

"So how is your future bride?" She asked, changing the subject before Lucius could say something more.

Alice had taken to calling Ivy that sometimes and Lucius blushed slightly at his mother's fussing. "She is well."

"That is good." Alice smiled genuinely with a tilt of her head.

"Are you going to Mr. Nicholson's with this?" She then asked, gesturing to the pile of wood at their feet.

"I already brought him his wood. I was bringing this home."

"Good. Why do you not go home and start a fire? I will be home soon. I need to go for a walk to clear my mind." Alice brought her hand to the side of her head slowly, as if there was a pressure building by her temples.

"All right." Lucius agreed, fighting the temptation to ask if she was all right again. "Be careful." He said after a moment, making Alice smile as she thought about how she would say that to Lucius before he left the house almost everyday when he was young...even thought he was most likely the most careful boy his age.

"I will." She promised as she turned and walked away.

Lucius watched her for a moment before, with a slightly heavy heart, gathering the pile of wood into his arms again and making his way to his home.

He had to push the door open with his foot and maneuver into the house, but when he got inside he easily stacked the logs neatly and then lit a perfect warm fire and sat, warming his hands that were numbed slightly from the cold outside. He couldn't get his mind off of his mother. She had seemed so sad to him. So lonely. And he couldn't blame her. He felt lonely now even though he knew Ivy was only a couple houses away from him. He hated to think of how his mother felt when she had loved this man who she shouldn't have. But, you can't help who you love, can you?

Lucius sighed as he sat back on his heels, his mind moving, as it always did, to the thought of the secret of the village. Whenever he had a moment alone he would brainstorm unconsciously about how they were to get more evidence. He was curious by nature, but the real reason it struck him so much, he thought, was how involved Ivy was in finding answers. She got so frustrated that her father held these secrets that he hid from her. He was fueled by that as well as his own inquisitiveness.

He could not help thinking that those books had been the perfect evidence and they would never get anything as good as what had burned in the fire.

It was just as he was thinking this that he turned to look out the window. Instead, his eye caught the sight before him. On the table sat the black box that usually stayed in the corner of the room. Not only that...but the top was propped open slightly. Lucius's heart had stopped beating and his breath had caught in his throat. He dared not even think as he stood up slowly and went to stand in front of the box. He saw the key lying on the table beside it and he abandoned the nagging feeling that what he was doing was invading his mother's privacy as he gently lifted the lid and pushed it up so that the contents of the box were revealed. He shook his head slowly as he just stared at what he had uncovered.

The boxes that the elders all had in their homes. Hiding their secrets. And here was Lucius's mother's box. Holding all of the secrets of her past. He couldn't believe he hadn't thought of the boxes before. Whatever was in them...was the secrets of the elders. It wasn't evidence of their secrets...it _was_ their secrets. An extreme feeling of anxious excitement took over Lucius as he, with slightly shaking hands, touched a corner of a turned-over picture. This was what he and Ivy had been looking for. _This_ is what they needed. Three little words rolled over and over in Lucius's head as he took a deep breath with tightly closed eyes: _This is it. _

XxX

TBC

Until next time...


	13. Truth at all costs

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

Chapter 13

"Peace if possible, Truth at all costs." Martin Luther King, Jr.

XxX

The night was dark and windy. The moon that hung against the black backdrop was a shimmery white crescent. The sky was dotted with glittering shards of diamond stars and they were vast in number, dusted across every inch of the heavens. The lanterns shuddered and swung in the wind, the trees swayed with the rhythm of the night, and the air was unimaginably cold and crisp. To stand on the edge of the woods would reveal the shrouded village to be a secluded paradise of tranquility. But, truly, deep under the surface, it was anything but.

Lucius Hunt stood, still, before the open black box in the front room of his house and simply stared at what it held, his hands placed firmly on the table on either side of the box. If he had no conscious he might have been tearing through its contents by now, but this was a box of his mother's past and he wanted anything but to disrupt her privacy. However, he needed to do this, he told himself. She wasn't going to reveal her secrets and neither was anyone else in the village. And besides, he deserved to know…after being lied to for so long…they all deserved to know, and the first step to knowing was investigating. Whatever was in this box was going to be the evidence they needed to force the elders' hands into telling them their secrets, Lucius believed this with all of his heart. And it was that promise that fueled him to drop a shaking hand into the box and pull out a newspaper clipping from the top of the pile.

He sighed and nodded to himself, as if affirming that this was what he needed to do, and brought it closer to his face so he could make out the slightly faded words. He read. The headline stated in bold, black, intimidating letters: _Man, robbed and killed, found in river._

The hands that held the clipping started to shake more violently but Lucius went on reading anyway. He read the story carefully, feeling like he wasn't reading about his father at all, but some poor unfortunate stranger. The last sentence made him close his eyes tightly with emotion: _He left behind a loving wife and infant son. _

That was him they were talking about. He let out a shuddery breath and looked at the picture at the top of the page, it was a riverbed. Lucius assumed it was where his father was found…dead. He quickly discarded the clipping to the far side of the table and put his hand into the box to pull something else out.

It was a picture. He tilted it toward the flickering flames of the fire to see the faces better and was oddly surprised by what he saw. A large group stood in the picture, all of the elders. He could see his very young self cradled in his mother's arms and it brought a sad smile to his face. He searched the rest of the picture, noticing how very young all the elders looked in the picture. It must have been taken some time ago, obviously, but it shocked him that this picture of the elders was in his mother's box of her past. He supposed the elders must have known each other when they lived in the towns. There was something off about the picture he thought, but he ignored that feeling as he set it aside and looked for something else inside the box.

He found a hand quilted, much worn blanket in the box, and he turned it over to find a small tag stating that it was made by someone who's name Lucius had never heard of. He set that aside and when his fingers touched some other soft material he pulled out the article. It was a well-loved jacket. It looked very much like a man's jacket, thought he had never seen anything like it, and he wondered briefly if it was his father's. That thought caused a jolt to course through him, so he set the jacket to the side as well.

Next, he uncovered a stack of letters tied with a pink ribbon. He took off the ribbon and looked through them briefly. From his father to his mother. They must have been love letters or something of the sort, and the thought of reading them made his stomach knot, so he organized them in the right way and put them on the table next to him.

Lucius looked over the edge of the box and saw a pile of photos, so he took those out too. He rifled through them, the back of his mind telling him he was going through his mother's private things. They were pictures of his mother and father. He hadn't ever really seen a picture of his father, and who knows how long he stood staring at the ones in his hand. The last picture was one of his father holding him in his arms and talking to him, his eyes on only the baby in his grasp.

Lucius's eyes became overbright and the light of the fireplace reflected in them such that, if anyone were to look, the emotion in the depths of his eyes would have been indistinguishable. It took all his strength to set that picture aside as he looked for something more incriminating in the box. And he found it.

He had pulled out a folded, crisp, very formal looking letter. He swallowed the lump in his throat as he unfolded it and read it. It was addressed, cordially, to Mrs. Alice Hunt, and signed by Professor Edward Walker. Lucius's head tilted unconsciously with puzzlement as he read on.

When he got to the heart of the letter, his breathing stopped, he was sure of it.

His hands shook imperceptibly and his heart, though feeling as if had stopped, was pounding against the walls of his chest.

In the letter, Edward proposed a plan to the subjects. Lucius read it over several times, quickly, to make sure he had understood it correctly. First, it talked about how horrible the world was at its present time, then it went on to say how much better and easier life was…in the 1800's. Lucius blinked at this but read on. It then stated, persuasively, a plan that would solve the problems of late. It involved the Walker's money, some sort of secluded establishment, and a 'utopian' society. It talked, in detail, about all the things that would help them to make the change, and how great this would be for them. Lucius's mind registered, quickly, what was meant by everything in the letter. But it took him a moment to process what it really meant to him. It was when his eyes traveled to the date at the top of the page when everything in his jumbled mind clicked into place like the gears of an efficient, well-oiled machine.

1982 was the date on the paper and it made his stomach drop to his feet. This wasn't some carelessly left book. This was a secret document that no one was supposed to see. And why it was important enough to be hidden was simple. It must be real. The date must be real. There was no other option it seemed. Lucius let the letter slip from his hand as he fumbled through the mess to pull out the newspaper clipping. The date on the top read late 1981. Lucius was numb. He couldn't feel anything but the feeling that some great cloud had been lifted from around him. Some kind of haze had disappeared and left nothing but the clear picture of what was going on. His eyes wandered to the picture of the elders. Something that he hadn't noticed before caught his eye. The way everyone was dressed. It was so…unusual. The clothes were brightly colored and patterned. They just were not…normal.

Lucius shook his head with a deep sigh and set down the clipping he still held. His mind swimming. It was when he looked back through the contents to see if he missed anything, that he saw, on the tag of the quilt, a date of 1963. He had completely ignored the dates when he had been going through the things before, but now he couldn't take his eyes off of them, as if they might change to something reasonable.

With the split second thought that his mother could come back at any second, Lucius quickly started to stuff the contents back into the box, careful to make it look exactly as he found it. He kept, out of the box, the letter from Edward, the picture of the elders, the newspaper clipping, and as a last thought, he took the picture of himself in his father's arms and shoved it into the pocket of his coat. He made sure to arrange the box just as he had found it and then, with a quick look back, he turned and took off, as fast as he could, to the Walkers' house.

XxX

It was only a couple moments later when Lucius arrived at the door of the Walkers' house. He took deep breaths, drawing in air to quell his burning lungs, before rapping on the door firmly.

It wasn't until the door opened a couple minutes later that Lucius became aware of how late it must be. But, still he pressed on, faced with Mr. Walker's inquiring face. For a moment Lucius felt a surge of pain for his mother as he looked at Edward, but it was sedated by the thought of what he held in his coat pockets.

"Lucius?" Mr. Walker finally prompted, slightly puzzled to see the young man so late.

"Hello, Mr. Walker…" He took a deep breath, trying to calm his rapid heartbeat and the tremor in his voice. "Might I speak with Ivy, Please?"

Mr. Walker raised his eyebrows. "She has just fallen asleep, Lucius…Could this not wait until tomorrow?"

It was only then that Lucius felt immediately sorry for disturbing Mr. Walker, but he really wanted to speak to Ivy _now_. He, however, did not want to wake her up for something they could not even act upon until the next day.

"Yes, Mr. Walker. It can wait…I am sorry for disturbing you so late." Lucius took a couple steps back nodding to Edward.

"It is not a problem, Lucius. When Ivy wakes up I will tell her that you need to speak with her." Mr. Walker smiled kindly as he said this.

"Thank you. Good Night." Lucius started off towards his house after Mr. Walker shut the door.

He was nearly home when he crossed paths with his mother, who was also on her way home. The thought of the articles in his coat pocket made his heart leap into his throat. He felt like his mother could see right through him and know what he was about to do.

"Where were you, Lucius?" Alice asked, looking much cheerier then she had last time they had spoke.

"…The Walkers'. I wanted to talk to Ivy, but she is sleeping."

She smiled and nodded, ushering her son into the house before following him. "Well, you can see her tomorrow."

Lucius nodded in reply and resisted the temptation to look at the black box, He felt like it glowed with the secret that he had touched it, that he had opened it.

"Good night, Mother." And Lucius quickly retired to his room before his mother realized she had left the box out.

XxX

"He is still sleeping, Ivy, but I will send him over as soon as we wakes."

Lucius heard this through the cloudiness of unconsciousness and, after a second's hesitation, sat straight up. It took him a moment to process his state of awareness and then he quickly got out of bed and dressed, only running a hand through his unkempt hair as he stumbled in his haste through his door and to the front door where his mother talked casually to Ivy.

His entrance drew the attention of his mother and she looked over to his as he walked in, straightening his jacket.

"Oh, Good Morning, Lucius."

"Good Morning." He echoed.

"Ivy is here to see you." She smiled and gestured to the open front door where Ivy stood.

"Good Morning, Lucius." Ivy stated brightly, smiling at the direction of his voice.

Before he could say a word, Alice moved away from the door, "Well, I had best be getting back to my knitting," And left them alone.

"Is she gone?" Ivy whispered after a short pause.

Lucius looked over his shoulder and then nodded, instantly berating himself, knowing that she couldn't see him.

"Yes." He verbalized.

She smiled and took a step closer, leaning up to kiss him gently.

"My father said you came by last night." Ivy ventured after she pulled away.

"I did." He answered and then whispered his next words. "Ivy, there is something I must tell you…Come, let us go to the resting rock."

She looked very confused, but she nodded anyway. Lucius patted his jacket pocket to make sure he had what he needed then he put his hand on Ivy's back and guided her out of the house. As he looked back to close the door, he couldn't help but notice that the box was back in its original place. And his mother hadn't said anything about it. She must not have noticed.

They did not speak as Lucius led Ivy to the resting rock. It was only when they took a seat together that Ivy asked what was going on.

Lucius told her the story, starting with him taking the wood back to his home after stopping at Mr. Nicholson's house. He went on about finding the box open and deciding to look through it, and then actually looking through it. She sat, engrossed in his story, speaking only when his words ran out and he sat, waiting for her reaction.

"Lucius…what, exactly, was in it?" She asked, surprised that Lucius would go through his mother's things. It had been a good idea, though. She would have done it if faced with the same situation.

He pulled the things from his pocket slowly, careful not to damage anything. He took the Newspaper clipping, ready to tell her about it, but when he opened his mouth, he started to talk about the picture of the elders instead that he held in his other hand.

"It is a picture of the elders together, but they stand in front of some building, and they wear…odd clothes. They look very young as well." He explained, not exactly sure how to describe the strangeness of it all.

Ivy looked at Lucius's color, tilting her head inquisitively. "What is so strange about that?"

"Out of context…nothing really." He answered, shuffling through the items. "But, if you read this letter from your father to my mother…"

Ivy raised her eyebrows. "A letter? What does it say?"

Lucius read it to her slowly and then, after a short pause for her to take it in, he told her the date at the top of the page.

She was silent for several moments. "That has to be some sort of…jest or something. Right?"

"Well, that is what I thought at first…but then I also found this section of a newspaper and it also has an odd date on it…"

"What does the newspaper say?"

It took a few minutes for Lucius to reply. "It is the news of my father's murder." His voice was soft.

Ivy was shocked. Lucius had never talked about his father…no had talked about his father. He just…didn't have one. And it was understood throughout the village.

"I…" Ivy stopped, not knowing what to say. Lucius understood, he didn't know what to say either. So he avoided it.

"It has an odd date on it as well. So it stands to reason that…one of the dates…1897 or sometime in the late 1900's maybe even early 2000's, one of them must be wrong." Lucius didn't know exactly when the village had been established so it couldn't be said how far after the letter's date it was now.

Ivy shook her head. "That is impossible, Lucius. It is 1897."

"How do we know?" He countered.

"It is just something that you know."

"But who told us what date it was?" He asked.

"…The elders…" She answered after a second to think.

"Exactly. And are they not keeping secrets from us?"

"Well, yes."

"Then, how do we know they are telling us the truth about this?" He questioned thoughtfully.

"We do not." She sighed, still not believing it.

"And if these things…with the different dates on them were hidden…locked up...then it must be for some reason, right?"

"Do you truly believe that the elders…our parents…have told us that it is 1897…when in reality it is the year…_2000_?" Ivy's tone was skeptical and Lucius couldn't believe it on the surface, but deep in his heart…he felt that there was a secret that held this village together, and this could be the start of it.

"I think that the evidence…is pointing to it being a different date…If this were some…joke…then they would not hide it from us."

"Lucius…why would they tell us it was a different date? What would be the point?" She asked emphatically, trying to understand what was going on.

"I do not know, Ivy." He whispered.

She exhaled deeply. "This is all so confusing, Lucius." She leaned into him and pressed her face into his shoulder. "I just want to get married." She mumbled. "I want everything to be normal, like it used to…"

Lucius nodded. He wanted that too. But, he had to know what the elders were hiding…he had to.

"Ivy, what if we went to the elders' meeting tonight…and brought the letter and the newspaper and used it as evidence…told them that we know something is going on…and that they need to tell us. I think this is the evidence we need. We can...tell them that we need to know…and that we know they are hiding from us."

Ivy nodded. In truth, she was burning to know. But, also, she wanted things to be the same. She didn't know if she could have it both ways, but the truth was important. It was very, very important. They deserved the truth.

"Yes, Lucius. Let us go to the meeting house during the meeting and…force them to tell us. We need to know the truth."

Lucius agreed. An anxious bubble started to form in his chest. They were finally, after all the trouble they had weathered, going to know the truth. He could feel it even now.

XxX

TBC

Until next time…


	14. Search for Truth

CANNOT BE SEEN

XxX

**This chapter is dedicated to Jesse Lynne because it was her birthday yesterday! I tried to post it before midnight so it would be on her birthday but I couldn't! It's about 3 am now…so I'm a little late…anyway! Happy Birthday, Jesse! **

XxX

Chapter 14

"The search for truth is more precious than its possession." Albert Einstien

XxX

The night was violently cold. More so than it had been in quite some time. There were overwhelming gusts of wind that seemed to exist only to torment the weakening trees of the woods. The icy bitterness shuddered throughout the village and incited ice to gather on the grass and to frost the windows of all the buildings. The lights of the lanterns had blown out from the intense wind and cold and left the village darker than normal. There wasn't even a moon in the sky. The only light was what filtered through the windows of the houses. This distinct turmoil of the weather was mirrored in the minds of Lucius Hunt and Ivy Walker.

"Are you ready for this?" Lucius asked Ivy with a sigh, finishing the final flourish on his letter to the elders as he sat at the table in the front room of his mother's house.

"I am ready." She answered confidently, rising from her seat. The elders had just started their meeting in the hall and Ivy and Lucius were going to go tonight to show them the evidence they had. This was what they had been waiting for.

"All right, Let us go now then." Lucius said quietly, taking Ivy's hand as he placed his folded letter into his pocket and started to lead her out of the house after making sure they were bundled up sufficiently against the hard, bitter cold.

XxX

The elders were sitting around in a circle and laughing quietly at a previous comment when the appointed girl that dealt with certain trivial elder duties walked in, drawing everyone's attention.

"There is a young man and a young lady here to see you," she announced, bowing very slightly with etiquette.

"Well, bring them in," Edward Walker smiled at the girl.

The elders were genuinely surprised when Lucius and Ivy were led into the room and silence fell for a few long seconds.

Edward spoke again. "Lucius, Ivy…Is there something we can help you with?"

Lucius let out a breath, trying to quell the nauseous feeling in his stomach that came with standing in front of so many people. He unconsciously shifted his weight and looked down at the floor as he fished out the letter he had written from his pocket.

He took another breath as he unfolded it and prepared to speak, but was abruptly interrupted by Ivy. She had pulled the carefully worded letter out of Lucius's hand and folded it back up, taking a step towards the elders. Lucius turned his shocked gaze to Ivy and looked at her incredulously. She obviously did not notice and went on to speak to the group in a firm, brave voice.

"Elders," She used as means of address and then went on after a deep breath. "Lucius and I have become increasingly aware of…odd goings on in the village. Most noticeably, we have become aware of the number of secrets that are being kept…particularly by the elders." She paused a second.

The elders exchanged worried glances and Lucius observed them. He knew that they realized they were caught. But he knew it would take real proof for them to admit to anything. He was also glad, really, that Ivy had taken control of the situation. He was certain she would be able to convey their need for the truth better than he could. He was never very good at talking in front of people anyway. Ok, he wasn't very good at talking in general…but especially in front of a large group. So, Lucius stood back and let Ivy take over. And she did.

She told, in detail, of how her and Lucius had found the books in the Walkers' house and then become suspicious. It was then that Mrs. Walker leaned over to her husband and whispered ferociously into his ear about something undistinguishable. Ivy ignored them and went on about how they had tried to figure out what was meant by the difference in some of the disguised books. Then she told of how Lucius had looked through his mother's black box. With this, Lucius looked to his mother, afraid she would be terribly angry at him for looking through her things, she looked at him for a long time before turning back to Ivy, but there was no anger in her eyes.

He was pulled out of his thoughts as Ivy asked him for the evidence. He quickly pulled it from his pocket and pushed it into her hands. She felt carefully what she held in her hand and then picked out the newspaper clipping and the heavy paper of the formal letter. She held them both out to where she knew the elders sat and took a deep breath again to stabilize her voice.

"This news clipping was in the box, along with this letter," She held them up higher so hopefully everyone could see. "They both have dates on them. Dates that are very different from the…date it is here."

The elders for a second time exchanged glances. It was now powerfully evident to them that Lucius and Ivy would not rest without answers. And none of the elders knew what to say. The silence stretched throughout the room and, propelled, Ivy took the picture from her short stack of documents and held it up. "This is a picture of all of the elders, wearing clothes that are very different from our culture here in the village."

It was obvious that Lucius had described each of these documents to Ivy, but still Lucius hung back. He stood now outside of the circle of light that was made by a lantern hung high in the room and he had started to bite the very tips of his fingernails in nervousness as excitement pumped through his veins and churned his stomach.

Ivy opened her mouth to say something else, but her father stopped her. He held up his hand and spoke for the first time in many minutes. "Ivy, we know what is in the boxes, you do not need to explain." His voice sounded almost weary.

"We did not bring them to show you what is in the boxes, Father. We brought them so that you could not deny the secrets you are hiding." Ivy answered boldly, dropping her hands to her sides and standing up a little straighter. Lucius was compelled to step forward then and he did, taking his place beside Ivy.

"We do hide secrets, Ivy, but do you not think that some secrets are for your own good?" Mr. Walker stood now to address them as they had addressed the elders.

"No." Ivy said defiantly. "Do you mean to say that you do not want to tell us your secrets because they are for our own good for you to keep them?"

"Yes." Her father answered, thinking they might understand.

"Do you not think that it is up to us to decide what is good for us and what is not?" She went on, impassioned.

"Yes, Ivy, I do. And I will tell you both what it is that we hide…but I wanted you to understand why we have kept these secrets. We have done it for the good of the whole village."

Ivy and Lucius's hearts had jumped when Mr. Walker said that we would tell them the secrets of the village and they held their breath in anticipation.

Edward sighed and looked at the circle of elders once more before looking back at the two defiant members of the village. Words that he had spoken earlier came back to him in a flash.

"…_Do you plan to live forever? It is in them that our future lies, it is in Lucius and Ivy that this way of life will continue…" _

"We did create the creatures of the forest. They do not exist. We created them so that the people of the village would fear. Fear venturing into the forest. For if they did…they would know our lies too. If they traveled far enough into the woods they would find that the woods end with a large wall."

Ivy nodded, remembering the great wall that she had to climb over after following the path her father had described to her.

"I told you, Ivy, that all of the elders have lost someone, and we have all felt pain. It was when I lost my father that I came up with a plan." Mr. Walker sighed, preparing to tell them exactly what they had asked to hear. He paused only to look back at the rest of the elders, who watched him in surprise, knowing he was really going to tell Lucius and Ivy the village's secret. They, however, did not object. They had, without speaking, agreed that someone would need to carry on the village and who better than Lucius and Ivy?

"My father was very wealthy. He left all of his money to me. My mother had already died before he was murdered. I had met the rest of the elders through a…group where people who have lost loved ones come together for support. My plan was to, with the members of the support group, start a village where there was no murder, no crime…a perfect environment. So, with my money, I built a 'Wildlife Preserve' for vanity purposes and inside...I built a village."

Lucius and Ivy were paying close attention to Mr. Walker and when he revealed what the village really was, Lucius looked at Ivy and Ivy looked at Lucius's blinding, pulsing color. Their minds were trying to take it all in, to process what Mr. Walker was really saying.

He went on. "I told you that I was a teacher, a professor of history. I spent my life interested in the past, studying how much easier life was back then. And that is where I acquired my idea. To make our village just like a village in the late 1800's. A simple village. Without greed or violence. And we made that."

Ivy interrupted her father. "…You are saying that…that our village…is…that you made this village? And we are caged in like animals?" Her eyes were creased in confusion as she looked at her father's color. Lucius simply stood back, astonished.

Her father sighed. "I made the village, Ivy, but we are not caged in like animals. It is nothing of the sort. We did this for the good of our loved ones. Have you not lived a happy, peaceful life in here?"

Ivy paused before nodding.

"Then what is the difference?"

"You lied to us, Papa. You lied to everyone." She answered indignantly.

"We did not mean to harm anyone with our lies. We were concerned only with the good of our families…and the good of ourselves as well. We have known pain and loss…and we did not want you to know it too. Do you understand now that we did what we had to? What we felt was right?" Her father stepped forward, gesticulating. His speech was passionate and his voice reverberated off of the walls of the large room, shaking within Ivy.

"I do believe that you did what you felt was right…I trust you. And if this is what you had to do…then I trust your judgment." Ivy answered in earnest after a moment's deliberation. The rest of the people in the room had seemed to fade into the back as Ivy and her father's conversation continued.

"The year is 2004, Ivy. Not 1897. And the culture we all know and practice here is not practiced outside of this village any longer. You may think it cruel for us to trick you…and the outside must seem very wondrous to you now…but it is not. It is filled with evil and greed and although it has its good too…they cannot outweigh the bad. This village is as close to perfect as society gets, Ivy. There is no need to feel the pain that exists beyond our borders." Her father took even more steps forward and he now stood right in front of Ivy and Lucius, who looked at him with softened eyes. They understood.

"2004?" Was all that Ivy could say.

Mr. Walker smiled. "2004."

"…This is…so hard to believe, Papa. It is…hard to realize that something that you have believed your whole life is a lie."

He nodded again. "I know. It is hard. But it is harder out there…in the world."

Ivy nodded and Lucius nodded too, a million questions spinning around his head so fast he could not pick out even one to vocalize.

Edward looked back at the silent group of elders and then back to his daughter and future son-in-law. "Ivy, Lucius, there is something that I must ask of you." They waited for him to continue and after a moment he did. "I must ask you not to reveal this to the rest of the village."

His request was met with silence. And then Ivy spoke. "Do you not think they deserve to know too?"

"But Ivy…they do not wish to know. They are happy with the lie. If they are happy and safe…why would you take that from them by giving them the truth they do not want?" Her father answered carefully.

This was thought about as well, but this time, Lucius spoke first. "Mr. Walker. I think you are right to want happiness and safety…I want that too…we all do. And if they are happy, I think it is fine to keep them with the lie…but if someone becomes curious, like we have…and asks directly…I will not lie to them." Lucius spoke softly, but firmly, surprising everyone in the room with his unexpected speech.

Edward looked at the young man in front of him and nodded slowly with a sigh. "That is fine, Lucius. I agree. If someone seeks the truth, we will tell them. But only if they ask. Now there is something else I must ask of you. I want both of you to become a part of the elders…I want you to carry on this way of life. We will not live forever, and we need you to carry on our mission for peace…for the kind of life that we have wished for this entire village."

Ivy turned her head slowly to look at Lucius's color and he turned his gaze to her before looking back at the elders that sat before them.

"You want us to be elders?" Ivy asked.

Mr. Walker nodded. "Yes. The next generation of elders. The ones that will make sure that this lives on. You are the future of this village."

"…all right." She agreed quickly. Lucius nodded his consent as well. He had never thought this conversation would end in the invitation to become an elder. Never.

"Thank you. Both. For understanding why we had to do this." Her father smiled took a deep breath, taking in the sight of the newest elder members.

XxX

Processing what had happened in the meeting hall was hard even several hours later as Lucius lay in bed. The whole quest for information that had started so long ago…was done. That was hard to fathom on its own. But to have been told that everything you have ever known was a lie…that you lived in an enclosed, perfect society…that was downright dream-worthy. And everything that had happened in the past weeks ran through Lucius's mind and he was powerless to stop the onslaught of memories. Especially those most recent of the talk in the elders' hall.

After his and Ivy's invitation to join the elders, Lucius had addressed something that had been on his mind for a long time. He had asked what they were going to do about the medicines that they needed. Mr. Walker had said that, after the wedding and when the weather calmed down, both Lucius and Ivy could travel to the towns…or the outside of their village, more accurately, and obtain medicines to last the village quite a time. This had lightened Lucius's heart considerably. The thought of medicines had weighed on him for such a very. very long time. That and the thought of his wedding, which was to take place in a couple of days, made a bubble of inextinguishable joy swell in his chest. And although the truth they had been looking for was not what he thought it would be…he realized why it was how it had to be.

With Ivy's request, the elders spoke about those they had lost while outside of the village. They spoke of the dangers outside and they had quelled even Lucius's thirsting curiosity about what lay beyond their borders. The stories had stirred many feelings in the room and brought tears to everyone's eyes. Lucius now felt, within himself, the intense desire to protect the village. Even if it meant lying to those he loved the most…it was worth it if it meant that they were safe and that they were happy. What was more important than that? After hearing…after _feeling_ the sorrow the elders knew first-hand, he realized that there was nothing. And what he had despised so greatly- the keeping of secrets- he was about to do the exact same thing. With the knowledge he had been given that night, he knew now that those secrets were worth keeping. He would never deny anyone the truth…but he would not, without being asked to, hand out the pain that came with it either.

Lucius sighed and rolled over, staring out of his dark window, thinking. He now held the truth in the palm of his hand and he closed his fingers around it to form a fist. Those who came to him, seeking the truth, he would open his hand to and offer it to them…but those who walked by, content enough to never ask what he held in his grasp, they would walk on and be content enough not to know the truth.

'What was the truth?' he thought to himself. Why did it feel to him as something had deflated? The truth had seemed so important when he had been looking for it…but now that he had it…it seemed nearly worthless. Lucius didn't feel as triumphant as he thought he would. Maybe the truth was something that people thought was important to have, until it was theirs and they couldn't remember why they needed it in the first place.

Lucius mulled one question over and over again in his head and the more he thought, the more he reached the same conclusion. He wondered if it would be better to tell everyone the truth. If he told everyone the truth…would they not want to leave the village? It was pure curiosity. Even he wanted to see the outside world and he knew of the sorrow that went with it. It seemed cruel to him to lead the villagers on and to keep that fear of the creatures that was necessary for keeping them in the village. He had felt fear when he had feared for Ivy and he knew that was what it felt like for every villager, every time the dreaded bell rung. Was it right to make them feel this undue fear? Or should they be allowed to leave…the people they loved, allowed into the cruel world. Was the fear they endured worth keeping them in the village? And the one question that plagued Lucius: Was what he and the elders were doing now _right_? And his conclusion hit him like some kind of invisible force. It was either the villagers fearing something that could never hurt them…or going out into the world and fearing what had torn the elders' lives apart. Fearing something that was real, and true, and painful.

There would be fear in the village and outside of the village…but what they would fear outside the village would be something that could hurt them. They would fear murder and violence and they would fear other people. Here they would fear farce creatures. But the difference was that here they would be _safe_. They would fear for a moment…but then it would go away and they would always, always be safe. In the world they would fear with a reason, and there was always a chance, a good chance even, that what they feared the most would become reality. No matter where they were, there would always be fear, but there would not always be danger.

Lucius wanted the ones he loved to live in a place free of most dangers. Their village. And although he was keeping secrets too now, he finally realized that there are several different truths, that they all lie within the heart, and that the village is governed, not by truths or lies, but by love.

XxX

The End.

Technically. I mean there is another chapter…I have always planned the next chapter…but it doesn't really fit in the immediate plot…so I decided that the story would sorta end here…and then the last chapter would be an 'epilogue' even though I think of epilogues as like years after the main event and this one is like the next day lol it's going to be the wedding and everything and wrap up loose ends and just be happy and fluffy and stuff.


	15. Epilogue: Cannot Be Seen

CANNOT BE SEEN

A/N::hides: It's been soooooo long! I know I know! I'm sooo sorry! Really I truly am! I don't know why it took so long…it's not even that good. Not good enough to have taken 6 months at all. I'm sorry it's just things got in the way and I didn't know exactly what to write and gaaah! I was just stupid! I'm sorry! I beg everyone's forgiveness! But, now do you appreciate it more? No? ok, well, it's here now! Wow, I'm so sad it's over though! I had sooo much fun writing it! Ok well. Thank you all for everything! This was such a great experience writing this and getting all the wonderful feedback from you guys! I love you! Thank you for everything! And I'm going to fix all the grammar and spelling errors and repost them again. If any of you have any plot holes or anything that you think should be changed in any of the chapter, even this one, tell me! I love some constructive suggestions! It will really help my story if you have any , please do tell! This epilogue felt a little odd to me…if there's anything off in it, just tell me! It's not set in stone _yet_, I can change things! So again, I apologize for this taking so long! I'll have more to say at the end but right now…on with the show!

XxX

Epilogue

"The best and most beautiful things in the world **cannot be seen** or even touched. They must be felt within the heart." Helen Keller

XxX

The day was bright and warm with sunlight. There was a welcomed breeze that stirred the leaves on the trees and brought the long, wild grass to life. The trees that had once looked so frightening in the dark looked happy and inviting. The small homes that dotted the rolling green hills looked cozy and quaint. There were flowers of all different colors dotting the grass and adding to the overall feeling of the coming spring. The air, though warm and cheering, was lifted with the cool breeze, making the morning crisp. When one breathed, the feel and smell of the air was capable of making one feel truly alive. Especially on this day, for this was the day of the wedding of Ivy Walker and Lucius Hunt.

The late morning sunlight was streaming through the windows in the Hunt house, casting rays across the wooden planks of the floor, the rays that Lucius Hunt was upsetting by doing something very uncharacteristic of his nature. He was pacing back and forth in the front room with shuffling steps, deep in thought. Alice Hunt was leaning in the doorway and watching her son with a lingering smile on her lips.

"Lucius," she called. He didn't respond. She tried again, holding back her laughter. "Lucius Hunt."

He turned to her, startled from his reverie. It took him a short moment to respond. "Yes, Mother?"

She smiled at him knowingly. "Are you feeling nervous, My Son?"

He looked down a little sheepishly and fumbled with the cuffs of his shirt. "Yes… Quite." His mother smiled a little wider and came to stand next to him. She was overwhelmed by emotion again just by looking at him. "I cannot believe my only son is going to get married today. It seems like only yesterday that I was getting ready for my own wedding." She repeated for what seemed the millionth time that week and regarded him with unshed tears and a wistful look in her eye. "You and Ivy are going to be so happy together."

Lucius nodded and looked at his mother, feeling wistful himself. He was going to be leaving this house and his mother alone here and moving into a new home with his new wife and starting a brand new life with her. He was excited and nervous all at once, which created quite an odd feeling. His stomach was clenched in sickening anxiousness yet he felt like smiling all the time.

"Anyway…" Alice smiled and wiped at her eyes. "Here I am carrying on and there is much still to do. Are all your belongings packed and ready to be taken to the cottage?" She changed subjects quickly, taking her mind off the sad subject for the time being.

Lucius nodded again. They had spent a better part of last evening packing all his belongings into an old trunk and talking, well mostly Alice did the talking, about Lucius's life changing now and reminiscing about his childhood. It had been a wonderful moment between them, but it left Lucius feeling slightly empty and sad. Though that part of him was warmed and overcome by the unrelenting happiness of the impending wedding.

"Lucius, Perhaps you should go check on your new house, you can leave your things there and make sure everything is as it should be." Alice suggested grasping his shoulder. "I will get ready and meet you down at the wedding canopy and we can help set up."

"Thank you, Mother." Lucius took his mother's hand. "For everything."

She smiled a watery smile and promised herself not to cry until the wedding commenced. "You're welcome, Son. Now go on."

Lucius nodded and left his mother in the front room briefly to go retrieve his belongings and take one last look at what he was leaving behind. He kissed his mother on the cheek and told her he would meet her soon and then he left the house he grew up in and closed the door firmly behind him.

XxX

The Walker household was much more chaotic. Mr. and Mrs. Walker were bustling around the house in confusion making sure that things were done that needed to be and looking for things that needed doing. Other members of the village were walking in and out constantly of the opened door of the Walkers' cottage and showing Mrs. Walker flower decorations for approval, going over the plans, discussing last minute dinner menu changes, and the like. Kitty came into the house just as one of the women decorating left with trailing streams of papers flowing after her.

"Papa, where is Ivy?" She asked, stopping her father as he was about to walk out the door after the woman.

He smiled joyfully at his oldest daughter. "She went frolicking out of the house early this morning." He chuckled remembering the manner in which Ivy had woken them that morning, dancing around their room and singing, and how she had very impatiently moved about the house for a very short time, refusing to eat breakfast for her happy anxiousness and then nearly skipped out of the house.

"She left? Papa, she cannot wander about the village. Lucius cannot see her before the wedding." Kitty demanded in mild anger. Her father smiled and put his arm on her shoulder. "I believe she is at resting rock at the moment." He hinted and then left, saying how he needed to go check on the wedding area.

Kitty sighed and turned back, making her way quickly across the grass to the edge of the forest. She was so excited for Ivy, but she wanted the day to be perfect too, and for the wedding to go on without a hitch. With so much to do, she had to responsible for Ivy and for getting her ready for the momentous event.

She couldn't help smiling to herself as she eased her way through the waist high grass to the resting rock. Once she made it to the clearing she found Ivy sitting on the rock, tapping her cane impatiently on the ground with a bright smile already on her face.

"Who is it?" Ivy asked when she heard the rustling. She had been afraid it was Lucius, having the same idea to get away for a little while, but then she could not see his color anywhere.

"It is me," her sister answered.

"Oh, Kitty," Ivy stood and her smile grew. "Kitty, I'm getting married today." She said it as if it were something unknown.

Kitty laughed and took Ivy's hands. "I know, Ivy. I am so happy for you."

They sat back down on the rock and spoke excitedly about the wedding to come. They were discussing her lovely dress when Ivy's attention was diverted. "Oh, Kitty, look. There's Lucius."

She could see his color as it moved, far away, through the grass that framed the clearing. Kitty watched the form that could have been any man wandering across the grass towards a cluster of homes. She had always thought it odd that Ivy saw certain people in colors and everyone else, including herself, she saw nothing of, but Ivy had explained it to her long ago.

Ivy giggled. "He's going to be my husband, Kitty."

Her sister smiled and shook her head. "I know, Ivy, 'finally' right?"

"Yes," Ivy insisted. She had dreamed about this day forever it seemed, ever since she was a little girl she had loved Lucius. And now, _finally_, she was going to marry him and be with him forever. Ivy laughed in pure happiness.

"All Right, Ivy, Hurry, we will take the back way to our house so Lucius does not see us and so you can start to get ready. Everything must be ready by dusk. Let us go." Kitty insisted, grabbing her sister's hand and pulling her to her feet with purposeful haste.

XxX

Lucius stood outside the house for a moment admiring it before he went in. The house had just been finished yesterday. Earlier Lucius had been worried that the men would finish the house before he could take any part in building it but he had felt well enough in the last week or so to help finish up the work. He could barely believe that the house was going to be his and Ivy's now.

He dragged his trunk across the porch and across the planked floor of the new house. It was wonderfully cozy inside. All of the newly made furniture still smelled of freshly cut wood and polish. The fabrics looked vibrant and soft to the touch. The aroma of fresh cut flowers that had been placed in decorative vases around the house filled the space pleasantly.

Lucius dragged his things into the bedroom that had been made up for them. All of Ivy's things had already been put away in the wardrobe by her mother. He took his time hanging his clothes next to all of Ivy's dresses and then he slid his trunk under the big, high bed that stood in the middle of the room.

It was after lingering in the house for a quarter of an hour that Lucius left for the time being and made his way down to the wood and glass structure that would house the wedding reception. It looked wonderful already even though it wasn't finished. There were several members of the village working on the unfinished half of the building, Alice Hunt being one of them. Mr. Walker was standing in the middle talking to a woman holding a bouquet of flowers and ribbons when Lucius arrived.

"Lucius, My Boy, how are you?" Mr. Walker smiled brightly and clapped him on the back.

"Nervous." He answered truthfully, looking down slightly. Edward laughed.

"Yes, I know how that is. It will go away once you see her," he assured with a wink. Lucius nodded in response and Edward leaned in a little closer to talk in Lucius's ear.

"Did you and Ivy decide on when you will be going to the towns?" His voice was low in conspiring.

"In a week. We think it best to go soon considering there are no medicines left." Lucius answered in a whisper. At the last meeting with the Elders they had discussed Ivy and Lucius's planned trip to the towns to gather more medicines and health care supplies. The original Elders had told the new elders to think on when they would go.

Mr. Walker nodded. "That is fine. We will discuss final arrangements at the next meeting."

Before Lucius could even reply a familiar young woman came hurrying up to Mr. Walker and begged for his opinion on the colors of flowers the group of girls were arguing over using in the corner of the structure. Edward excused himself to go sort out the issue and the young woman lingered by Lucius.

"I am so glad for you and Ivy, Lucius. It is a blessing that you two have fallen in love. It is such a beautiful thing-love." She insisted with a warm smile, placing her hand on his arm. Lucius was not sure what to say so he nodded and quietly thanked her. When she left him he went to go help his mother, hoping it would help to calm his nerves.

XxX

Ivy was laying back in the bath, trying to relax while Kitty and her mother fussed over Ivy's newly-made wedding dress. Her mind had been wandering and she had thought of Noah. She wished he was here now for her wedding. She remembered at Kitty's wedding when he was messing about with all the decorations and having his usual fun. She wished he was here to do the same at her wedding…

"I need just to reinforce this seam. It looks like it might give way during the ceremony. Have you washed your hair, Ivy?" Her mother's voice assaulted her ears and brought her from her thoughts.

"Yes, Mother." She sighed, feeling glad at the moment that she would from now on be living alone with Lucius.

"Okay then, you can stay in there a few moments longer until you will need to start getting ready." And with that her mother left the room to get her sewing kit. Kitty knelt next to the tub and Ivy could feel the tension of excitement around her and she couldn't help but smile brilliantly with happiness.

"I'm getting married, Kitty." Ivy whispered yet again. Kitty laughed and nodded. "I know, Ivy."

Ivy laid her head back against the tub and let out a breath. "Speaking of which, how is your marriage to Christop?" With all the fussing over her wedding to Lucius and about the two of them trying to uncover the secrets of the village she had not had time to really talk with Kitty lately.

"Oh, it is wonderful," Kitty responded with a dreamy sigh, folding her arms and leaning on the rim on the bath. "He is so excited for the arrival of our child."

"As we all are," Ivy added, feeling the pang of excitement and hope in her chest of wanting to have Lucius's children. She wondered what they would be like, their children. If they would be strong and silent like Lucius or stubborn and adventurous like herself.

She was broken out of her thinking by her mother who had apparently bustled back into the room with the improved dress and was telling Ivy to get out of the bath. She obeyed and Kitty handed her a towel to dry off with. She dried herself and ran it through her hair to stop it from dripping water onto the floor as Kitty helped her into her more formal underclothes. And at last, carefully, she stepped into her dress as Kitty buttoned up the back. She really was a vision, as Kitty insisted. Her dress was white silk-like material underneath that formed a long skirt and a sleeveless bodice, and it was covered in layers of sheer white fabric. The gauzy material formed a very full skirt and covered the bodice up to form a high ruffled collar. Then it stretched out along the arms to end in ruffled cuffs at the wrists. Just wearing it Ivy felt beautiful.

"Oh, Mama, are these vines of ivy?" Kitty exclaimed fingering the white sewn embroidery.

"Oh, yes, the seamstress finished the dress early and decided that would be a charming addition. Do you like it, Ivy?" Her mother questioned, taking Ivy's hand so she could feel the craftsmanship.

"Oh, yes," Ivy assured her mother, "I think it's wonderful, I will have to thank Mrs. Sawyer again." Her mother agreed and handed Ivy her stockings and veil and insisted she had to leave to check on the preparations but would be right back and for Kitty to 'fix Ivy's hair'.

When her mother left Ivy let out a breath she had been holding. She knew her mother had…good intentions, but her high-strung nature was getting to Ivy. She tried to get herself to relax more and she sat down to put on her stockings and shoes as Kitty combed her hair and as she waited for her Ivy's hair to dry, she went about making the band of white and pink flowers to go in Ivy's hair.

There came a knock on the door and Kitty told whoever it was to come in. Ivy recognized the color emanating from the person as her father and she smiled. "Hello, Papa."

He smiled back as he shut the door behind him and took in the scene of his little girl in her pristine wedding dress. "Kitty, could you go finish that up in the living room?" He requested softly.

Kitty complied and left the two alone. Edward sat down on the bed next to his daughter and took her hand in his. "It is almost time, Ivy."

"Yes, Papa, I know." She just couldn't keep the smile off of her face. He just looked at her for a moment and then took a small box out of his coat pocket and gently placed it in Ivy's hand.

"What is this?" She asked and he told her to open it. Inside was a gold chain and when she lifted it out of the box a heart-shaped locket swung from side to side.

"This," her father started, taking a hold of the locket, "is a necklace that belonged to my mother before she passed away. Kitty was given a ring from of your mother's mother, as you know, and I wanted you to have this."

"Oh, Papa," Ivy whispered, pressing her fingers against the cool metal of the heart. "I love it, Papa, thank you so much." And with that she reached out and hugged her father tightly, for some reason feeling as though she may start to cry.

"You are welcome." He wiped an escaped tear from her cheek and placed a kiss on her forehead, and then he took the necklace from her and secured it around her neck. "You look beautiful."

Ivy blushed a little. "Thank you."

Mr. Walker nodded and squeezed her arm and took to leave. "Now, I must get back and you must get ready. I love you, Ivy."

"I love you also, Papa." Ivy smiled and wiped away the dampness from her sightless eyes.

"I will see you at the wedding." He kissed her again and quietly left. Kitty came in moments later with the finished flower wreath and placed it on Ivy's head, leaving her strawberry blond curls free. Then she carefully placed the long veil in her hair and let it fall forward, shrouding the happy tears that were already slipping down Ivy's smiling face.

XxX

Alice Hunt tried to hold back her smile as she stepped forward to help Lucius tie his tie as he was having trouble with his trembling fingers.

They were standing in the master bedroom of Lucius and Ivy's new house as Lucius put on his new suit that was made especially for the wedding. The trousers, coat, and tie were rich brown His shirt a clean white, and his vest was off-white with a brown floral pattern. It fit him perfectly.

"Do not laugh at me." Lucius requested, lifting his chin to make his neck accessible for his mother to take the strip of fabric between her fingers.

"I am not laughing." Alice insisted, hiding her smile by ducking her head slightly, but she could not hide it in her voice.

Lucius huffed silently and then buttoned his vest before sliding on his new jacket and straightening it nervously.

Alice stood by silently and watched as her son adjusted the sleeves of his coat in the mirror. She tried not to let her thoughts become too sentimental but she just couldn't help it as she saw him in his wedding suit. She couldn't help the thoughts from coming but this time she didn't voice them, she simply smiled, albeit a bit sadly, and told her only son that if he did not hurry he would be late for his own wedding.

XxX

The sky was a watercolor meld of vibrant red, flaming orange and deep, heartbreaking purple. The large, bright ball of sun hung so low on the horizon that it was a wonder there was still any light at all in the sky. The clouds were stretched across the heavens like a web of pastel colored cotton, diluting the fiery colors of the sky, trying to turn it into an inky grey that had already started to creep into the colors from the very air farthest from the sun. Even though the world had not succumb to darkness yet, the lanterns of the village had all been lit and they swung imperceptibly in the light breeze that incited the flames into dancing. The large glass canopy sparkled magnificently in the late evening light and stood invitingly, waiting to be filled with the numerous attendees of the wedding. It was decorated to the hilt with bouquets of pink, violet, and yellow wild flowers, streaming paper chains of all colors, and hanging jars with homemade candles and flitting flames in them. The fresh picked flowers gave off a sweet, airy aroma that tickled one's nose pleasantly as it was carried through the crisp breath of night. It mixed with the smoky scent given off by the lanterns and candles and created the smell of celebration. Crickets had just started to come awake and make the beautiful noise of darkness to accompany August Nicholson's rough voice reciting the words of wedded union to Ivy and Lucius, who stood directly before him, and the rest of the village, who sat comfortably in the floating green grass.

The day that Ivy, Lucius, and most of the village had waited so long for had finally arrived. And there was no one in the village who wasn't giddily happy for the couple. But, no one was as happy as the couple in question. No one could have been. Ivy was certain that to be filled with anymore happiness than what she felt at that very moment. And Lucius was in concurrence.

When he had first seen Ivy in her beautifully pure white wedding dress he had forgotten how to breathe, remembering only when the low supply of oxygen caused him to feel terribly light headed. Or maybe that was just Ivy. He was sure he had never seen anything or anyone as beauteous or awe-inducing as Ivy Walker. He asked himself many times over in his head why she would want to spend the rest of her life with someone like him as he took her hand in his trembling one. His whole body was shaking, he then realized, and he wondered if anyone else noticed. He wondered why, though he was shivering more than ever, that as soon as he had seen Ivy all the tightness in his chest had disappeared and he no longer felt any frightfulness, only peacefulness and the warm, tingly feeling of undying love for the person standing in front of him. He panicked for a short moment when he realized he hadn't been listening to Mr. Nicholson, but once he realized that he was speaking still of the very love he was feeling at that moment he calmed again. Lucius pulled his gaze back to look into Ivy's intense, unseeing eyes and he was in reverence. Mr. Nicholson's well-worded speech of love and faith started to penetrate Lucius's clouded mind and for some indiscernible reason he felt like crying and his throat started to close around his breath and his eyes began to tingle unpleasantly with unwashed tears.

Ivy stood at the same moment, thinking quite the same way. Her hands were held fast in Lucius's warm, slightly shaking, hold. Even though they had kissed many times before, simply holding hands now felt like the most intimate of touches. She was being joined forever to the man in front of her, the man she loved with all her heart. And their hands would be joined forever. Their bodies, their souls, would be joined forever. She had dreamt of this for as long as she could remember and now she couldn't believe it was actually happening. She was crying already, she had been from the very start and she continued to now. She was overcome by so many emotions it was hard to breathe and she had to force her mind to stay listening to Mr. Nicholson performing the ceremony as she felt the love radiating from Lucius.

Finally, Mr. Nicholson started to recite the vows of holy matrimony to the couple and the crowd. When Lucius recited the words he was told, his voice was even quieter than usual and rough around the edges from his restricted throat, but it was softened with love. Ivy's voice was shaky and temperamental, but confident with feeling. When they had both uttered the final words of union, they exchanged the fire-forged rings to represent their unending love for one another. It was only then that Mr. Nicholson spoke the most beautiful words either had ever heard.

"I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

It took half a second for Lucius to realize exactly what he had said and when he did, his shaking, although he had anticipated the opposite reaction, stopped altogether. Time seemed to suspend in the air around the two of them as Lucius lifted the white, gauzy veil that partially hid Ivy's delicate face. He looked into her eyes and it seemed she was staring straight into the depths of his soul. Unconsciously, Lucius's rough fingers wiped away the wet tears on Ivy's cheeks and cupped her face with one hand, letting the other fall to grasp her arm just above the elbow. He couldn't remember ever feeling so light as he leaned in closer to his wife. _His wife_. After what seemed an eternity to Ivy, Lucius's lips joined with hers in the most warm, soft, and loving kiss she had ever felt.

XxX

It was shortly after the ending of the ceremony and after Lucius, Ivy, and the family of both had received members of the village for congratulatory words and hand clasps, that the music had started. The piano that had been carefully placed in the corner of the wedding canopy had been brought to life and a lively tune was now floating through the air though not many were dancing for most were still mingling in the wedding afterglow of festivities.

It was then that Alice Hunt found herself standing next to Edward Walker after the couple that had been making conversation with them had excused themselves. The silence was awkward and Alice twisted her skirts in her hands as she tried to find excuse to leave. Instead she told herself to be brave and she looked straight at Edward. "It was very dusty outside during the ceremony, was it not?"

Edward looked at her for a moment. "Excuse me?"

Alice smiled, "I only mention it because I saw it was affecting your eyes during the wedding." She brought her hand to her eyes in a mime of wiping away tears.

Edward smiled back remembering the conversation at Kitty's wedding. "Ah, Yes, It was quite dusty."

Then the silence ensued again. And as Alice wracked her mind for something else to say, for they had exhausted the talk of how wonderful a couple Ivy and Lucius were when they were talking with the others, she realized something. She still felt something for Edward. She still felt something for him and it was more than friendship. And she knew he felt it too, because if they were both nothing but friends they would not have so much trouble finding something to speak on, and it would not be so uncomfortable in the meanwhile. Right now there was still something wrong between the two. And to move on to just being friends was going to take time and probably some effort. They needed to acknowledge their feelings, which they already did, and now they needed to let them go. To get over those feelings for one another. To do that Alice thought that they would need to stay away from each other for awhile, to allow themselves to move on and not to dwell on their feelings or thoughts. And there was only one way to start down that long road.

Alice smiled genuinely at Edward Walker, her soon-to-be dear friend, and excused herself. Then she walked away.

And promptly walked into August Nicholson.

"Oh, I am terribly sorry," Alice apologized, her hand over her heart as August steadied her.

"It is quite alright," he insisted, and after a moment of looking at her carefully he did something very unusual. He asked her to dance.

Alice, though slightly surprised, agreed, of course, and without so much as a glance back at Edward Walker, followed Mr. Nicholson onto the dance floor where several members of the village had started dancing and they soon followed suit.

XxX

When Lucius had been pulled away into conversation by various members of the village, well, if you can consider a conversation as Lucius simply listening and nodding as others spoke, Ivy found it perfect opportunity to get away from the warmth and noise of the canopy and she departed to sit on a wonderfully cool rock not 20 yards from the festivities.

It was there that Lucius found her ten minutes later, after successfully evading those who tried to congratulate him for the third or fourth time. He crept up behind his wife and wrapped his arms around her from behind.

"Lucius," Ivy whispered and turned her face to his to receive a kiss. Which he readily gave.

"What ever are you doing out here?" He asked quietly, taking a seat next to her.

"I simply came out for a breath of fresh air, My Husband."

Lucius's lips twitched at her endearment and he looked down at his shoes. "It is very crowded in there; the fresh air is a welcome reprieve."

Ivy agreed and leaned into Lucius to gather his warmth. He placed an arm around her. "I told your father this morning that we will be going to the towns next week. He said it was fine."

"Oh, good. I was fearful they would retract their promise of letting us go." Ivy sighed.

"Yes, I must admit I am somewhat nervous to go to the towns, but I also cannot wait. I wonder what it will be like exactly."

Ivy answered, "I'm glad I will not be alone this time. It was quite frightful before I must say."

"Yes, I'm glad you will not be alone too, but we can make all the final arrangements at the next meeting."

Ivy nodded and sighed. "Well, I suppose we should go back now, it _is_ our own party."

"One more thing before we go back," Lucius insisted. He stood up and held out his hand shyly to Ivy. "Ivy Hunt, will you do me the honor of this dance?"

She stared at him for a moment, a pleasant and loving smile on her face. "Of course, Lucius." She took his hand and stood up. Lucius hesitated a short while before pulling his wife close to his body.

Out in the cold night air the strains of the piano could be heard softly in the short distance. The breeze ruffled the grass around their feet and the lanterns cast faint, eerie, dancing light on the couple. Laughter and talking voices filtered through the night but the only thing Lucius and Ivy could hear was the music.

They swayed slowly. Lucius held Ivy against him by the small of her back and Ivy had one hand placed flat against Lucius's chest. She hummed along with the tune as they danced and then pressed her cheek against her husband's. "I love you, Lucius."

"I love you too." He whispered in her ear, making her shiver in delight. Ivy turned her head and pressed her lips to his in a kiss. They still swayed with their lips joined and Ivy deepened the kiss a little. Their dancing slowed and Lucius pulled Ivy closer. It was a few moments later when Ivy pulled away and suggested that maybe they should go back now.

Lucius insisted not yet and he started their dance again. He spun Ivy and she laughed mirthfully before spinning back into Lucius's arms.

"Ivy?" Lucius laid his cheek on the top of her head.

"Yes?" She whispered, letting one hand wander up to twirl his hair idly.

He let out a breath and cleared his throat slightly before whispering in her ear. "What is my color?"

Ivy giggled and pulled away to turn her unseeing gaze on Lucius's face.

"You promised." He persisted before she could say anything.

"I did promise." She agreed, smiling brilliantly. "Fine, I will tell you what your color is. You waited long enough, have you not?"

"I have."

Ivy leaned up so her lips just grazed his ear and she whispered very very quietly. "Your color is red." She waited for his reaction.

"The bad color?" was the first thing he said.

"No, _not_ the bad color. Just red." Ivy insisted. "Only the very very brave wear red, Lucius. Am I right? It is the cowardice who wear yellow. The fearful. Those whose greatest concern is their own safety. That certainly is not you"

Lucius blushed and nodded ever slightly after absorbing what she had said. "I never thought I would be red."

"No?" Ivy questioned. "What color did you reckon you would be then?"

"I did not know…Red is just not a color that crossed my mind."

"Are you disappointed?" Ivy asked, still swaying with her husband.

"No." Lucius answered. "I am not disappointed at all. In fact, I am quite glad my color is red." He pulled his wife closer. "Thank you for telling me."

"Well, I think you deserve it after waiting for so long." Lucius's color flickered in agreement and they danced in silence for a moment more before Ivy spoke up again.

"My father's color is yellow."

XxX

It was hours after the couple's dance that they stood at the edge of the canopy. The elders had ended the festivities now that it was so late at night, the moon had risen high above them by now.

Lucius and Ivy had been told that they may leave to retire to their new home and were now saying goodnights and receiving final congratulations from the villagers. When the villagers finally stopped the queue and started to help to clean up the wilting decorations, Ivy whispered in Lucius's ear. "Let us go home."

Lucius gathered his wife's hand in his and slowly started to lead her to their new cottage.

"Oh, the wedding was so beautiful. It was just what I imagined." Ivy said emphatically as soon as they had gotten a fair distance away from the rest of the village.

"Yes," Lucius agreed wholeheartedly. It was exactly as he had imagined too.

"I cannot believe we are finally married!" Ivy broke away laughing from Lucius and started to dance around him in giddy happiness. Lucius couldn't help but smile at the sight. She looked magical in her flowing pure white gown, dancing in the middle of the dark night.

She almost fell over in her excitement and Lucius had to catch her from falling into the cold dewy grass. This only caused her to laugh more and Lucius had to support her as they made the last bit of distance to their new house.

"Oh, and our finished house! Lucius, Is it as beautiful as I imagine it?" Ivy asked gleefully, running her hand along the wood.

"More." He answered, placing a hand around Ivy's waist and stopping her from opening the door.

"What?" She asked, anxious to get inside.

Lucius stayed silent but he leaned down and placed one arm behind her knees and another behind her back and then tilted her into his arm and straightened up.

"Oh, Lucius." Ivy laughed. "You will hurt yourself."

"I must carry my new wife over the threshold to our new home." He insisted. Ivy did not answer but instead pressed her lips to his and Lucius nudged the door open before carrying his new wife not only into their new home, but into their new life of happiness. Together.

XxX

The real end.

A/N: Wow. It's over! Nooo. I'm sad. I may have to write another fic to make me happy…haha what do you guys think? Ok well, did you like this epilogue? Did you? Was it okay? Anything you think should be changed? If you have anything you think should be changed in any chapter at all, tell me! I'm going to fix all the little mistakes and repost the chapters so now is the time to tell! Again thank you all! I love you!

I want to write more village stories! Maybe a sequel…what do you guys think? Or I kinda wanted to write Noah…maybe a fic of before the whole incident…what do you all think I should write? Suggestions please!

Well, I hope the wedding was good enough. There wasn't a wedding ceremony in the movie as you know, so I don't know how weddings in the village are conducted except for how everyone sits in the grass to watch lol. So I made it similar to a modern wedding. I hope that was correct! If not I can change something that's wrong….

Ok, well I thought maybe I should explain the whole 'color' thing. I know everyone has their own theory about what Lucius's color is and that not being answered was one of the reasons I wanted to write this in the first place. I have always believed his color was red. When I first saw the movie I thought it was red even before I really thought about it, it was just an instinct kind of thing. Now I know there are people saying he is all the colors of the rainbow. It is my belief that since the main colors, and only colors, of the movie are yellow and red that it pretty much had to be one of those. Or was supposed t be, in my mind. And when I started to think about it more, I knew Lucius had to be red. Like Mr. Walker said himself to Lucius, "You are fearless in a way that I shall never know." Lucius is fearless. Fearlessness is shown by the color red. It is only someone who is without fear who would wear red, right? Yellow is called the 'safe' color, yes, and this is the reason some have chosen yellow as Lucius's color, because he is 'safe' supposedly. But yellow really is the color that people who are fearful wear, is it not? If you are afraid, you are supposed to wear the safe color. Therefore Lucius could not be yellow because he wouldn't need to be yellow. He is not afraid of anything but Ivy's safety being threatened. He is red because he is fearless, which is the main trait Lucius is given as developed in the movie. That is my theory on why Lucius is red. If any of you would like to rebuttal lol go ahead.

Should I write another village fic or not? I want to write fics in other categories but I have trouble with plots and whatnot for those, and since I have already characterized and written for the village, I think I may be able to write more with greater ease than in other movies.

One last time, I thank you!

**Haldir-freak1**: hahah! What dooo you think? Is it good in its entirety? Do you like it? Do you want something changed perchance? Should I write another fic maybe? Hmmm…

**Jesse Lynne**: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked the last chapter, do you like this one as much? Was the wedding what you expected at all? Thank you for all your reviews! I hope you liked this epilogue and this whole story! And yes, you are impatient. Lol.

**Kiki**: Thank you for all your reviews! Did you like the epilogue? I certainly hope so! Thanks again! Oh and I changed my LJ name to SarahLucey…so you may need to change I believe you had my old name as a friend in your LJ…

**Skylar**: Thank you soo much for your compliments! You flatter me really! I hope this chapter lived up to your expectations of my writing ability and of the story! Thank you again!

**Lise**: Thank you soo much! You're too too kind! I'm so glad you think I have a grasp of the story/characters. That really does mean a lot to me as that is what have tried to achieve in writing this. Mrs. Walker is flawed. I agree. I think I have explained before how I thought she didn't exist at first so I kinda wrote her out of the story…but then I realized who she was in the movie you see I started this story after seeing the movie only once so you can imagine some things I hadn't even noticed yet. So to make up for a mistake I made in the very beginning I made her somewhat mean…which I was very angry with myself because I got the feeling that she was kind from the movie itself, but of course we only ever see her for a few moments…and moments where you cannot get a real grasp of her as a person. I did not intentionally choose between good and evil when making her character. She just manifested into this not nice person. And I didn't intend that when I first started. It did give more dynamic to the story though, it ended up, and it did give me perfect reasons to make certain things happen so in reality it helped my story as a whole. I believe I just took a character that had no real significance in the movie and made her more three-dimensional in my own way. I think that to make her good though…would make the story lacking in conflict a little more and a little too perfect in my mind. I think that being in the village and cut off from the outside world and some other things have made her bitter…not inherently evil. And that's how I believe she is in my story. When I go back in the story to fix errors I may tone down Mrs. Walker a bit in some of her outbursts but I'm not sure, I'll have to think about it. I hope that helps explain what happened with her though. I appreciate your opinion very much! Thank you for sharing it with me and thank you again for reviewing! I hope you liked the wedding!

**Chez**: Thanks for the review! All your reviews! Sorry this took so long to get up! I hope you enjoyed the epilogue and the wedding! And if I end up writing another fic I hope you enjoy that too! Lol thanks again!

**Anne**: Thank you! I so appreciate your compliments! You make me feel so good about my writing! I hope this epilogue has lived up to your expectations of my writing ability lol. I am soo glad you think I captured Ivy and Lucius! I tried so hard to! I hope you liked the wedding! Did you? Tell me please! Lol thank you again!

**It takes a village**: Thank you so much! Glad you liked it so much! I hope you enjoyed this epilogue and the wedding in general! I really tried to make it good! In what varying degree did I succeed?

**Jennifer Lee**: Yes lots of spelling/grammar mistakes. I'm painfully aware lol I cringe when I re-read this and this chapter probably has some mistakes as well as I only read it over once after writing it…I'm so impatient lol. Like I said I'm going back through and fixing all the mistakes so when you re-read it you can breathe easier without all the annoying, distracting mistakes. I hope you liked the wedding! Thanks again!

**Jessclifton**: Thank you for all your wonderful reviews! I hope you enjoyed this epilogue and the wedding and whatnot!

**A. Delashmit**: Thank you! Do you think Lucius is OOC? Why exactly? Is it the talking thing? A few people saw that Lucius wouldn't talk that much but…I watch the movie and I think Lucius talks a lot more than people actually give him credit for, and I believe wholeheartedly that he speaks more in the presence of his true love Ivy than he would in front of everyone else. So there is my reason for that. If that isn't it, please tell me what it is, I don't want to have made a grave mistake in his characterization. I hope you enjoyed the epilogue! Thank you again for your review!

**AmyLauren**: Thank you for your review! I hope you enjoyed this epilogue and the wedding. I hope it made it feel a little more complete to you and I am starting to get a feel for writing a sequel or something of the like…I'm not sure exactly what it would be about though. Lol yes, more village fics is a must! Thank you again!

**Wildpixiechild16**: Thank you for reviewing! Did you enjoy the epilogue? I certainly hope so.

**Patronus-light**: Yay! I'm so glad you liked the end (sort of)! I hope you liked this epilogue too! Thank you for all your compliments and all of your wonderful reviews!

**Belligerent-road-python**: Thank you::sigh: oh, the Alice/Edward thing. It wasn't cheating! Lol It was the opposite of cheating if I may slip a double entendre in there! Haha. Oh I crack myself up. Ok, no. lol I didn't cop-out. I promise. I am not afraid to go anyway with a character or situation as the character/situation wants to go, I don't cop-out on things like that. But this is the way it had to be. I promise! Edward can't leave his wife…won't cheat on his wife. There is still something between them but they have decided to ignore it and to keep themselves friends. Because that's the way it needs to be, as foreshadowed in the movie by Edward telling Alice "this is all I can give you." Because he can't get into a relationship with her, and that's just the way it is. Unless Mrs. Walker died. And I actually thought of making that happen but it just didn't fit and it was just too much! Lol. It's not far-fetched! I promise. Lol. They just decided to finally do what they had to do. Which was stop the weird semi-relationship that they had and either have a relationship or just stop the game they were playing and cut it off. They had to step up to the plate sooner or later and sort out what was going on between them. And that's what they did. It didn't just automatically make everything right it just put them on the right path. It will still take work and time to get things right but they are willing to do that. Thank you for your opinion! I really appreciate you sharing it. I hope you enjoyed the epilogue! And I didn't know there was so much passion in Edward/Alice's relationship…and I thought Lucius/Ivy had passion! Well they are quite a bit more innocent and naive so that's why they have less passion at the moment in their relationship. That is my reason. And thanks for the cherry.

**Stuntz**: Thank you for your review! Haha if my friend came in in a bright red sheet during the first time I saw the Village I might have screamed and ran away. I hope you enjoyed this epilogue!

**Kaya1**: Thank you! I think he called it 1897 because he still had to teach history and I think he wanted to be true to real life. I think he wanted it to be just like they were in 1987 and since he is a history teacher I think he wanted to be historically accurate. So it was kinda a way to just make things simple by going with accuracy. It's easier to keep lies straight that way. They say that "Noah has made the stories real" not Ivy. And what they mean is by Noah dying they can say a creature killed him and it makes their stories real…the stories about there really being creatures. Ivy was told about killing Noah in this story because she needed to know, in my opinion. Thank you for your compliments I hope you enjoyed this epilogue!

I lied: this is my last thank you. Thank you all again! So very much!


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